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Epeolus

Epeolus is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae. They are often known as variegated cuckoo-bees. The species is uncommon to rare, and has strong patterns of black and white on the thorax and abdomen. These patterns are made of tiny fat hairs lying flush with the integument or "skin" of the bee. Species of the genus are easily mistaken for those of the genus Triepeolus, but are often smaller.

Biology

Species within the genus Epeolus are medium-sized bees with bright patterns. There are currently approximately 100 species described from throughout the world. All known species of the genus Epeolus are cleptoparasites of mining bees of the genus Colletes. The female enters the nesting excavated by the female Colletes bee and lays an egg in an unsealed cell. The Epeolus larva then consumes the egg of the host bee and then feeds on the pollen the Colletes bee provisioned the cell with for her offspring. Epeolus bees may be rather obvious and easily observed in the vicinity of the nesting aggregations of their hosts and often use the same flowers to feed on. Colletes bees line their nesting cells with a cellophane like covering which they exude from the Dufour's gland to protect the cell from moisture and fungal infection, female Epeolus bees have spines on the end of their abdomens which they use to pierce u-shaped holes in this covering so that she can oviposit between its layers, she also secretes a small amount of glue so that the egg adheres to the cell.

Species

The following species are currently classified in the genus Epeolus:

References