Cleptoparasitic
Guides
Ammobatoidini
cuckoo bees
Ammobatoidini is a tribe of cleptoparasitic bees in the family Apidae, subfamily Nomadinae. The tribe contains at least four genera (Aethammobates, Ammobatoides, Holcopasites, and Schmiedeknechtia) and approximately 30 described species. Members are obligate cleptoparasites, laying eggs in the nests of host bees. The tribe has been documented in North America, with some species having restricted geographic ranges.
Dioxys
Dioxys is a genus of parasitic bees in the family Megachilidae, tribe Dioxyini. These bees are characterized by distinctive morphological features including a median tubercle on the metanotum and an extremely reduced, non-functional sting. The genus contains approximately 13 recognized species in the West Palaearctic region, with a taxonomic revision published in 2024 resolving several long-standing species-level issues. Dioxys species are distributed across the Mediterranean basin, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Canary Islands, with varying geographic ranges and habitat preferences.
Ericrocidini
cuckoo bees
Ericrocidini is a tribe of cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bees within the family Apidae, containing 11 genera and approximately 42 species distributed throughout the Neotropics. These bees are obligate parasites of oil-collecting bees, primarily attacking nests of Centris (Centridini) and, in one derived case, Epicharis. Females do not construct nests or collect pollen; instead, they invade host nests, kill host eggs or larvae, and deposit their eggs in provisioned brood cells. The tribe diverged from related lineages approximately 74 million years ago in the Cretaceous, with host specialization evolving synchronously with their Centris and Epicharis hosts during the Eocene.
Melecta
Mourning Bees, Cuckoo Bees
Melecta is a genus of kleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bees in the family Apidae, commonly known as mourning bees. The genus contains at least 50 described species. Females are cleptoparasites that enter host bee nests to lay eggs, with their larvae consuming the pollen and nectar provisions intended for the host's offspring.
Mesoplia
centris-cuckoos, cuckoo bees
Mesoplia is a genus of cleptoparasitic bees in the family Apidae, tribe Ericrocidini. Commonly known as centris-cuckoos, these bees are brood parasites that lay eggs in the nests of oil-collecting bees in the tribe Centridini. The genus contains approximately 15–17 described species distributed across the Neotropical region, with the highest diversity in Mexico and Central America.
Protepeolini
Protepeolini is a tribe of cleptoparasitic bees within the family Apidae. The tribe includes the genus Leiopodus and, according to some sources, Epeoloides. Members are specialized brood parasites of other bees, with larvae exhibiting distinctive killing behaviors toward host offspring. First instar larvae show unusual developmental patterns, including extended quiescence or abbreviated stadia.
Rhopalolemma
Rhopalolemma is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae, established by Roig-Alsina in 1991. The genus belongs to the tribe Biastini within the subfamily Nomadinae. Two species have been described: R. robertsi (1991) and R. rotundiceps (1997). As cuckoo bees, members of this genus are presumed to be cleptoparasites that lay eggs in the nests of host bees.
Sapygidae
Club-horned Wasps
Sapygidae is a small family of solitary kleptoparasitic aculeate wasps containing approximately 80 described species. They are generally black wasps with white or yellow markings, superficially resembling some Tiphiidae or Thynnidae. Females oviposit into the nests of solitary bees, where their larvae consume both the host larvae and the food stores provisioned for them. The family has limited economic importance, though some host species are important pollinators. Fossil sapygids are known from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber and Upper Eocene Baltic amber.