Epeolini
Guides
Epeolus barberiellus
Barber's Cellophane-cuckoo Bee
Epeolus barberiellus is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1907. As a member of the genus Epeolus, it is a cleptoparasite that lays its eggs in the nests of host bees, primarily species in the genus Colletes (cellophane bees). The species is known from North America, though specific details about its distribution, abundance, and ecological relationships remain poorly documented compared to better-studied congeners.
Epeolus interruptus
Interrupted Cellophane-cuckoo Bee
Epeolus interruptus is a cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee in the family Apidae, native to North America. First described by Robertson in 1900, this species invades the nests of polyester bees (genus Colletes) to lay its eggs. Like other cuckoo bees, females lack the branched body hairs used for pollen collection and instead rely on host bees to provision their offspring. The species exhibits reduced pilosity compared to non-parasitic bees, giving it a wasp-like appearance.
Epeolus mesillae
Mesilla Cellophane Bee
Epeolus mesillae is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1895. As a kleptoparasite, it invades the nests of host bees to lay its eggs, with its offspring consuming the host's provisions. The species is recorded from North America and Middle America. Like other Epeolus species, it lacks the branched body hairs typical of pollen-collecting bees and instead exhibits color patterns of short black, white, red, and yellow hairs.
Triepeolus brittaini
Brittain's Cuckoo Nomad Bee
Triepeolus brittaini is a species of cleptoparasitic bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1931. As a member of the cuckoo bee genus Triepeolus, it is known to lay its eggs in the nests of other bee species rather than constructing its own nests or provisioning brood cells. The species is found in North America and is commonly known as Brittain's Cuckoo Nomad Bee.
Triepeolus distinctus
Triepeolus distinctus is a cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, subfamily Nomadinae. As a member of the tribe Epeolini, it is a brood parasite of other bees, likely targeting hosts in the family Apidae such as long-horned bees (Eucerini). The species occurs in North America, though specific details about its biology and host associations remain limited in published literature.
Triepeolus grandis
Great Feather-tongue-Cuckoo
Triepeolus grandis is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Apidae, subfamily Nomadinae. It is a cuckoo bee that parasitizes the ground-nesting bee Caupolicana yarrowi (Colletidae: Diphaglossinae). Females enter host nests during or after host provisioning, destroy host eggs or larvae, and lay their own eggs on the host's pollen provisions. The species occurs in North America and Central America.
Triepeolus intrepidus
Intrepid Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus intrepidus is a species of cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, tribe Epeolini. It is found in the United States and Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it is a nest parasite of other bees, likely targeting long-horned bees (Melissodes and related genera). The species was originally described as Epeolus intrepidus by Smith in 1879.
Triepeolus kathrynae
cuckoo bee
Triepeolus kathrynae is a species of cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, tribe Epeolini. The species was described by Rozen in 1989. Like other members of the genus Triepeolus, it is a brood parasite that does not construct nests or gather pollen. It has been recorded from the United States and Mexico.
Triepeolus loomisorum
Triepeolus loomisorum is a cleptoparasitic bee species in the family Apidae, first described by Rozen in 1989. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it is a cuckoo bee that does not construct nests or gather pollen, instead laying eggs in the nests of host bees. The species is known from the United States and Mexico.
Triepeolus matildae
Matilda's Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus matildae is a cleptoparasitic bee species described by Rightmyer in 2014. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it is commonly known as Matilda's Longhorn-Cuckoo. The species is documented from California in the United States and Baja California in Mexico. It has been recorded visiting flowers of several plant families including Asteraceae and Polygonaceae. Activity records span from mid-May through late September.
Triepeolus quadrifasciatus
Four-striped Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus quadrifasciatus is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Apidae, commonly known as the Four-striped Longhorn-Cuckoo. As a member of the tribe Epeolini, this species is a brood parasite of other bees, specifically targeting hosts in the tribe Eucerini (long-horned bees). The species occurs throughout North America and has been documented visiting flowers of native plants including Dalea candida (White Prairie Clover) and Grindelia camporum (Great Valley gumplant).
Triepeolus remigatus
Squash Longhorn-Cuckoo, cuckoo bee
Triepeolus remigatus is a cleptoparasitic bee (cuckoo bee) in the family Apidae. It parasitizes the nests of squash bees, particularly Xenoglossa pruinosa. Unlike most bees, it does not collect pollen or construct its own nests. The species is found in the United States, Mexico, and Central America.
Triepeolus rufithorax
Florida Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus rufithorax is a cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, subfamily Nomadinae. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it parasitizes nests of long-horned bees (Melissodes and related genera). The species is known from North America, with records particularly from Florida and surrounding regions. Like other Triepeolus species, females enter host nests to lay eggs in brood cells provisioned by the host female.
Triepeolus sarothrinus
Triepeolus sarothrinus is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Apidae, originally described as Epeolus sarothrinus by Cockerell in 1929. The species was synonymized under Triepeolus segregatus (Cockerell, 1900) in a 2024 revision of the simplex species group. As a member of the cleptoparasitic genus Triepeolus, females lay eggs in the nests of host bees rather than constructing their own nests or gathering pollen. The species belongs to the simplex group, characterized by females having a trapezoidal or triangular pseudopygidial area with bright, reflective setae and a concave apical margin.
Triepeolus utahensis
Utah Longhorn-Cuckoo
Triepeolus utahensis is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1921. As a member of the genus Triepeolus, it is a cuckoo bee that parasitizes nests of digger bees (Anthophorini). The species is native to western North America, with the specific epithet 'utahensis' indicating its association with Utah. Like other Triepeolus species, it lacks pollen-collecting structures and relies entirely on host nests for larval provisioning.
Triepeolus verbesinae
cuckoo bee
Triepeolus verbesinae is a cleptoparasitic bee species in the family Apidae. As a cuckoo bee, females lay eggs in the nests of host bees rather than constructing their own nests or provisioning brood cells. The species is distributed across the United States and Mexico. Like other members of the genus Triepeolus, it is associated with pollen-collecting host bees, though the specific host species for T. verbesinae has not been definitively documented.