Triepeolus donatus

(Smith, 1854)

Thistle Longhorn-Cuckoo

Triepeolus donatus is a of cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the Apidae. It is found in North America, particularly in the eastern United States and Canada. The species exhibits in wing coloration and length.

Triepeolus donatus f by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory. Used under a Public domain license.

Triepeolus donatus, F, face 2013-01-04-15.44.59 ZS PMax (8355285478) by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Triepeolus donatus, m, face, Centre Co, PA 2016-12-22-13.12 (31880758773) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Triepeolus donatus: //traɪˈɛp.i.oʊ.ləs doʊˈneɪ.təs//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Distinguished from similar Triepeolus by the combination of: black wings in females (reddish in males), always black wing , reddish lower , and specific pattern of gray-white thoracic and abdominal striping. Geographic leg color variation (more reddish in upper Midwest ) may aid identification in those regions.

Images

Appearance

Overall black body with white or grayish-white striping. black with short gray-white hair, denser around base in females. Lower reddish. Antennae black; female segments longer than male. black with grayish-white borders and a white strip, with additional striping. black with gray-white strips. Legs brown to black with silvery-white hairs; in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota show more reddish legs. Wings black in females, reddish in males; wing always black.

Habitat

Suburban and urban forest environments. Associated with flowering plants including gumplant (Grindelia camporum).

Distribution

North America: eastern United States (Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and other states) and Canada (Ontario).

Host Associations

Svastra obliqua expurgata - Female cuckoo bees lay in nests

Behavior

Cleptoparasitic: females lay in nests of bees, particularly Svastra . Does not gather pollen or construct nests.

Ecological Role

of ground-nesting bees. Functions as a natural control mechanism for .

Similar Taxa

Triepeolus concavusSimilar cuckoo bee ; distinguished by specific wing coloration and body pattern differences
Triepeolus punctoclypeusCongeneric with similar cleptoparasitic lifestyle; separated by facial and clypeal punctation patterns

More Details

Sexual dimorphism

The shows pronounced in wing coloration, with females having black wings and males having reddish wings—a reliable field characteristic for distinguishing sexes.

Geographic variation

Leg coloration varies geographically: more reddish in Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota compared to the typical brown to black seen elsewhere.