Digger-cuckoo-bee
Guides
Melecta edwardsii
Edward's melectum
Melecta edwardsii is a species of digger-cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cresson in 1879. As a cleptoparasite, females enter the nests of host digger bees to lay eggs, with their larvae consuming the pollen and nectar provisions intended for the host's offspring. The species occurs in Central America and North America, though specific details about its biology and host associations remain limited in the available literature.