''Thyreus abdominalis'' is a species of bee belonging to the genus '' Thyreus'', the members of which are often referred to as

cuckoo bees 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 ...

. Like all bees in this genus, it is

kleptoparasitic Kleptoparasitism (originally spelt clepto-parasitism, meaning "parasitism by theft") is a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. The strategy is evolutionarily stable when stealing is less costly than direct fe ...

. It is found throughout southern and

eastern Asia East Asia is a geocultural region of Asia. It includes China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan, plus two special administrative regions of China, Hong Kong and Macau. The economies of China, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan ...

Range

''T. abdominalis'' is widespread, having been recorded throughout the Himalayan states to eastern China, Malaysia, and Indonesia.

Taxonomy

There are four subspecies of ''T. abdominalis''. These are: * ''T. abdominalis abdominalis'' * ''T. abdominalis austrosunsanus'' * ''T. abdominalis rostratus'' * ''T. abdominalis simulator''

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4294659 Apinae Hymenoptera of Asia