Triepeolus grandis

(Friese, 1917)

Great Feather-tongue-Cuckoo

Triepeolus grandis is a cleptoparasitic in the , . It is a that parasitizes the ground-nesting bee Caupolicana yarrowi (: Diphaglossinae). Females enter nests during or after host provisioning, destroy host or , 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; develop on pollen provisions collected by Caupolicana yarrowi; females consume host or larvae

Host Associations

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

Life Cycle

Female enters nest during or after host provisioning; consumes host or ; 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 multiple per nest

Ecological Role

() of ground-nesting ; 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 biology documented in Museum Novitates (DOI: 10.1206/3931.1), including nest architecture, provisioning patterns, and dynamics.