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Cuckoo Bee
The term cuckoo bee is used for a variety of different bee lineages which have evolved the kleptoparasitic behaviour of laying their eggs in the nests of other bees, reminiscent of the behavior of cuckoo birds. The name is perhaps best applied to the apid subfamily Nomadinae, but is sometimes used in Europe to mean bumblebees (''Bombus'') in the subgenus ''Psithyrus''. Females of cuckoo bees are easy to recognize in almost all cases, as they lack pollen-collecting structures (the scopa) and do not construct their own nests. They often have reduced body hair, abnormally thick and/or heavily sculptured exoskeleton, and saber-like mandibles, although this is not universally true; other less visible changes are also common. The number of times kleptoparasitic behavior has independently evolved within the bees is remarkable; Charles Duncan Michener (2000) lists 16 lineages in which parasitism of social species has evolved (mostly in the family Apidae), and 31 lineages that parasitiz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Melittidae
Melittidae is a small bee family, with over 200 described species in three subfamilies. The family has a limited distribution, with all described species restricted to Africa and the northern temperate zone. Fossil melittids have been found occasionally in Eocene amber deposits, including those of Oise, France and the Baltic amber. Evolution Early molecular work suggested that the family Melittidae was sister taxon, sister to all other bees, and also that it was paraphyletic. Because of this finding, it was suggested that the three subfamilies of Melittidae should be elevated to family status. Neither study included many melittids, due to their rarity. Later studies suggested that the family could still be monophyletic and a 2013 investigation including a greater number of melittid bees further supports this. Recent research has shown that Melittids have a lower extinction rate compared to other hymenopterans, yet this family is considered species-poor. This is attributed to a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Insect Common Names
Insects (from Latin ') are hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and a pair of antennae. Insects are the most diverse group of animals, with more than a million described species; they represent more than half of all animal species. The insect nervous system consists of a brain and a ventral nerve cord. Most insects reproduce by laying eggs. Insects breathe air through a system of paired openings along their sides, connected to small tubes that take air directly to the tissues. The blood therefore does not carry oxygen; it is only partly contained in vessels, and some circulates in an open hemocoel. Insect vision is mainly through their compound eyes, with additional small ocelli. Many insects can hear, using tympanal organs, which may be on the legs or other parts of the body. Th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hesperapis
''Hesperapis'' is a genus of bees in the family Melittidae. There are at least 30 described species in ''Hesperapis''.Michez D. (2008) ''Monographic revision of the melittid bees (Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Melittidae sensu lato)].'' Proc. Neth. Entomol. Soc. Meet. 19: 31-39. The genus is very uncommon. Its abdomen is flattened and its integument or "skin" is soft compared to other groups of bees. Behavior One species, '' Hesperapis rhodocerata'', was recorded in one area in 2010 and 2015, appearing in those years but not the years in between. This suggests that their diapause may be prolonged over multiple years. Species These 37 species belong to the genus ''Hesperapis'': * '' Hesperapis aliciae'' (Cockerell, 1932) * '' Hesperapis arenicola'' Crawford, 1917 * '' Hesperapis arida'' Michener, 1936 * '' Hesperapis braunsiana'' (Friese, 1911) * '' Hesperapis carinata'' Stevens, 1919 * '' Hesperapis danforthi'' (Eardley, 2007) * '' Hesperapis elegantula'' Cockerell, 1898 * '' Hesperapi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nomadinae
Nomadinae is a subfamily of bees in the family Apidae. They are known commonly as cuckoo bees. This subfamily is entirely kleptoparasitic. They occur worldwide, and use many different types of bees as hosts. As parasites, they lack a pollen-carrying scopa, and are often extraordinarily wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...-like in appearance. All known species share the behavioral trait of females entering host nests when the host is absent, and inserting their eggs into the wall of the host cell; the larval parasite emerges later, after the cell has been closed by the host female, and kills the host larva. The first-instar larvae of nomadines are specially adapted for this, and possess long mandible (insect), mandibles they use to kill the host larva, though t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Townsendiella
''Townsendiella'' is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae, found in Mexico, and the southwestern United States. Species * ''Townsendiella californica'' Michener, 1936 * ''Townsendiella ensifera'' Orr and Griswold, 2015 * ''Townsendiella pulchra'' Crawford, 1916 * ''Townsendiella rufiventris'' Linsley, 1942 References * Michener, Charles D. (2000). ''The Bees of the World'', xiv + 913. * Michener, Charles D. (2007). ''The Bees of the World, Second Edition'', xvi + 953. Further reading * External links NCBI Taxonomy Browser, ''Townsendiella'' Nomadinae Bee genera Brood parasites {{Nomadinae-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Emery's Rule
Emery's rule is the trend of social parasites to be parasites to species or genera they are closely related to. History In 1909, the Italian entomologist Carlo Emery noted that social parasites among insects (e.g., kleptoparasites) tend to be parasites of species or genera to which they are closely related.Emery, C. "Über den Ursprung der dulotischen, parasitischen und myrmekophilen Ameisen". ''Biologisches Centralblatt'' 29, 352–362 (1909) Over time, this pattern has been recognized in many additional cases, and generalized to what is now known as Emery's rule. In nature The pattern is best known for various taxa of Hymenoptera. For example, the social wasp '' Dolichovespula adulterina ''parasitizes other members of its genus such as ''Dolichovespula norwegica'' and '' Dolichovespula arenaria''. Emery's rule is also applicable to members of other kingdoms such as fungi, red algae, and mistletoe. The significance and general relevance of this pattern are still a matter o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brood Parasite
Brood may refer to: Nature * Brood, a collective term for offspring * Brooding, the incubation of bird eggs by their parents * Bee brood, the young of a beehive * Individual broods of North American periodical cicadas: ** Brood X, the largest brood, which emerges on a 17-year cycle ** Brood XIII, a brood centered on Northern Illinois and its surrounding area, which also emerges on a 17-year cycle ** Brood XIX, a large brood in the Southern United States which emerges on a 13-year cycle People with the surname * Herman Brood (1946–2001), Dutch musician, painter, actor, poet and media personality * Philippe Brood (1964–2000), Dutch politician Entertainment * '' The Brood'', a 1979 horror film directed by David Cronenberg * Brood (comics), an alien species from the Marvel Comics universe * The Brood (professional wrestling) The Brood was a List of professional wrestling terms#Stable, stable known for its time in the WWE, World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) duri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bombus
A bumblebee (or bumble bee, bumble-bee, or humble-bee) is any of over 250 species in the genus ''Bombus'', part of Apidae, one of the bee families. This genus is the only Extant taxon, extant group in the tribe Bombini, though a few extinct related genera (e.g., ''Calyptapis'') are known from fossils. They are found primarily in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are also found in South America, where a few lowland tropical species have been identified. European bumblebees have also been introduced to New Zealand and Tasmania. Female bumblebees can sting repeatedly, but generally ignore humans and other animals. Most bumblebees are eusociality, social insects that form colony (biology), colonies with a single queen. The colonies are smaller than those of honey bees, growing to as few as 50 individuals in a nest. Psithyrus, Cuckoo bumblebees are brood parasite, brood parasitic and do not make nests or form colonies; their queens aggressively invade the nests of other bumble ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pollen
Pollen is a powdery substance produced by most types of flowers of seed plants for the purpose of sexual reproduction. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced Gametophyte#Heterospory, microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametophytes during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants, or from the male Conifer cone, cone to the female cone of gymnosperms. If pollen lands on a compatible pistil or female cone, it Germination, germinates, producing a pollen tube that transfers the sperm to the ovule containing the female gametophyte. Individual pollen grains are small enough to require magnification to see detail. The study of pollen is called palynology and is highly useful in paleoecology, paleontology, archaeology, and Forensic science, forensics. Pollen in plants is used for transferring Ploidy#Haploid and monoploid, haploid male genetic ma ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hylaeus (bee)
''Hylaeus'' is a large (over 500 species) and diverse cosmopolitan genus within the bee family Colletidae. This genus is also known as the yellow-faced bees or masked bees. This genus is the only truly globally distributed colletid, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. Description The genus of bees consists of generally small, black-and-yellow or black-and-white wasp-like species. The resemblance to wasps is enhanced by the absence of a scopa, which is atypical among bees. The body form of this genus is described as hylaeiform (slender); the hairs inconspicuous without magnification; and scopa inconspicuous or absent. Males have an intermediate glossal shape with a small to distinct median apical glossal point. ''Hylaeus'' carry pollen in the crop, rather than externally, and regurgitate it into the cell where it will be used as larval food. Like most colletids, the liquid provisions are sealed inside a membranous cellophane-like cell lining. Nests are typically made ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Colletidae
The Colletidae are a family (biology), family of bees, and are often referred to collectively as plasterer bees or polyester bees, due to the method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these secretions dry into a cellophane-like lining.C. D. Michener (2007) ''The Bees of the World'', 2nd Edition, pg. 133, Johns Hopkins University Press. The five subfamilies, 54 genera, and over 2000 species are all evidently solitary (with the known exception of but one species, ''Amphylaeus morosus''), though many nest in aggregations. Two of the subfamilies, Euryglossinae and Hylaeinae, lack the external pollen-carrying apparatus (the scopa (biology), scopa) that otherwise characterizes most bees, and instead carry the pollen in their crops. These groups, and most genera in this family, have liquid or semiliquid pollen masses on which the larvae develop. They can be found all over the world, but the most species live in South America and Aust ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
