Triepeolus grandis

(Friese, 1917)

Great Feather-tongue-Cuckoo

Triepeolus grandis is a cleptoparasitic in the Apidae, Nomadinae. It is a cuckoo bee that parasitizes the ground-nesting bee Caupolicana yarrowi (Colletidae: Diphaglossinae). Females enter nests during or after host provisioning, destroy host or larvae, and lay their own eggs on the host's pollen provisions. The occurs in North America and Central America.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Triepeolus grandis: /triːˈɛpɪələs ˈɡrændɪs/

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Habitat

Ground-nesting; associated with soil nests of Caupolicana yarrowi

Distribution

North America; Central America; specifically documented in the United States and Mexico

Diet

Cleptoparasitic; larvae develop on pollen provisions collected by Caupolicana yarrowi; females consume host or larvae

Host Associations

Caupolicana yarrowi - Ground-nesting (Colletidae: Diphaglossinae); T. grandis enters host nests during or after provisioning

Life Cycle

Female enters nest during or after host provisioning; consumes host or larva; lays egg on host pollen provision; larva develops on host provisions; multiple eggs may be deposited in a single host nest

Behavior

Cleptoparasitic : females enter nests, destroy host offspring, and oviposit on host pollen provisions; may deposit multiple per nest

Ecological Role

(cuckoo bee) of ground-nesting bees; regulator of

More Details

Taxonomic note

Originally described by Friese in 1917. The epithet 'grandis' (meaning 'large') may refer to body size relative to , though this has not been explicitly documented.

Nesting biology documentation

Early nesting documented in American Museum Novitates (DOI: 10.1206/3931.1), including nest architecture, provisioning patterns, and dynamics.