Epeolus zonatus

Smith, 1854

Zoned Cellophane-cuckoo Bee

Epeolus zonatus is a cuckoo bee in the Apidae, first described by Smith in 1854. As a , it lays in the nests of bees rather than building its own. The species is found in North America, though specific details about its and host associations remain limited in the available literature.

Epeolus zonatus (10.3897-zookeys.755.23939) Figure 89 by Onuferko TM (2018) A revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epeolus Latreille for Nearctic species, north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Apidae). ZooKeys 755: 1-185. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.755.23939. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.Epeolus (10.3897-zookeys.755.23939) Figure 97 by Onuferko TM (2018) A revision of the cleptoparasitic bee genus Epeolus Latreille for Nearctic species, north of Mexico (Hymenoptera, Apidae). ZooKeys 755: 1-185. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.755.23939. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.Epeolus zonatus, U, back, Georgia, Camden County 2013-02-19-15.01.29 ZS PMax (8489653439) by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Epeolus zonatus: //ɛˈpiːələs zoʊˈneɪtəs//

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Distribution

North America. Specific locality records are sparse, with 17 observations documented on iNaturalist.

Ecological Role

As a cuckoo bee, Epeolus zonatus functions as a , exploiting the nest-provisioning efforts of bees. This parasitic strategy influences host and contributes to structure.

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Sources and further reading