Nest-parasite
Guides
Acroricnus stylator aequatus
Acroricnus stylator aequatus is a subspecies of ichneumon wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. The genus Acroricnus is documented as a parasite of mud dauber wasp nests, specifically attacking the Black and Yellow Mud Dauber (Sceliphron caementarium). This subspecies was originally described by Thomas Say in 1835. Very little species-specific information is available in the provided sources, with most biological knowledge inferred from genus-level documentation.
Ammophila procera
Common Thread-waisted Wasp
Ammophila procera is a large, solitary thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, among the most conspicuous members of its genus in North America. Females construct burrows in sandy or compact soils, provision them with paralyzed caterpillar prey, and seal the nest after laying a single egg. The species is notable for its elaborate nest-closing behaviors and landmark-based navigation. Adults feed on flower nectar and are frequently observed visiting blossoms, particularly goldenrod.
Ancistrocerus unifasciatus
One-banded Mason Wasp
Ancistrocerus unifasciatus is a solitary mason wasp in the family Vespidae, subfamily Eumeninae. Females construct nests in pre-existing cavities such as abandoned mud dauber nests, beetle borings in wood, or hollow twigs. The species hunts leafroller caterpillars (family Tortricidae), using a distinctive behavioral strategy to extract prey from silk-bound leaf rolls. It occurs throughout the eastern United States west to Iowa, Kansas, and Texas, plus southern Ontario, Quebec, and Prince Edward Island in Canada.
Ancistrocerus unifasciatus unifasciatus
Ancistrocerus unifasciatus unifasciatus is a subspecies of mason wasp in the subfamily Eumeninae. Females are mid-sized with forewing lengths of 9.5-12 mm, while males measure 6.5-9 mm. The species exhibits sexual dimorphism in facial markings: males possess a large yellow patch on the face, while females have only a couple of spots. This solitary wasp nests in pre-existing cavities, particularly abandoned mud dauber nests, and provisions its young with paralyzed caterpillars.
Anthrax irroratus
Spotted Bee Fly
Anthrax irroratus is a bee fly (family Bombyliidae) widespread across North America, ranging from Alaska and northern Canada to Central America and the Caribbean. Adults are pollinators that frequent flowers, while larvae are parasitoids of solitary bees and wasps in at least five families. The species is one of numerous bee flies that exploit ground-nesting Hymenoptera as hosts.
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cuckoo wasps
Argochrysis is a genus of cuckoo wasps (family Chrysididae) containing approximately five described species. Members are obligate cleptoparasites of solitary ground-nesting wasps in the genus Ammophila. The genus is notable for sophisticated learned foraging behaviors, including visual host location during nest excavation, spatial memory for nest locations, and surveillance of multiple nests during host absence.
Bembicini
Sand Wasps
Bembicini is a large tribe of solitary wasps commonly known as sand wasps, comprising approximately 20 genera distributed across multiple subtribes. These wasps are characterized by their ground-nesting behavior in sandy substrates and their role as predators provisioning nests with paralyzed insect prey. The tribe exhibits notable diversity in prey preferences, with most genera specializing on particular insect orders—most commonly Diptera, though some target Hemiptera, Orthoptera, or other groups. Many species form dense nesting aggregations where numerous females excavate burrows in close proximity, creating conspicuous colonies that attract specialized parasites and cleptoparasites.
Brachymelecta interrupta
Interrupted Digger-cuckoo Bee
Brachymelecta interrupta is a species of digger-cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. It occurs in Central America and North America. As a cuckoo bee, it is presumed to be a nest parasite of other bees, though specific host relationships are not well documented. The species was originally described as Melecta interrupta by Cresson in 1872.
Ceratophyllidae
Rodent and Bird Fleas
Ceratophyllidae is a family of fleas (Siphonaptera) comprising ectoparasites that primarily infest rodents and birds. The family contains two subfamilies: one with over 40 genera and another with only three. Members are blood-feeding parasites with documented associations spanning multiple host groups including rodents (Peromyscus, Neotoma), birds, and occasionally marsupials such as the Virginia opossum. Several species within this family have been implicated as potential vectors for zoonotic pathogens.
Chalybion zimmermanni
Zimmerman's Mud-dauber Wasp, Zimmermann's Mud Wasp
Chalybion zimmermanni is a solitary thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is one of two Chalybion species found north of Mexico, distinguished from the widespread C. californicum by its more restricted southeastern and southwestern U.S. distribution, white thoracic hairs, and smoky rather than violaceous wing coloration. Like its congener, it is a spider-hunting wasp that repurposes existing mud nests rather than constructing its own.
Chalybion zimmermanni aztecum
Aztec Mud-dauber Wasp
Chalybion zimmermanni aztecum is a subspecies of mud dauber wasp in the family Sphecidae, commonly known as the Aztec Mud-dauber Wasp. It is one of two Chalybion species found north of Mexico, distinguished from the widespread C. californicum by white thoracic hairs and smoky rather than violaceous wing coloration. Like other blue mud daubers, females are solitary nesters that remodel abandoned mud nests rather than constructing new ones from scratch, and hunt spiders including black widows to provision their offspring.
Chalybion zimmermanni zimmermanni
Zimmerman's Mud-dauber Wasp
Chalybion zimmermanni zimmermanni is a subspecies of mud dauber wasp in the family Sphecidae. It is one of two Chalybion species found north of Mexico, distinguished from the widespread C. californicum by its white thoracic hairs and smoky rather than violaceous wing coloration. Like other blue mud daubers, females are solitary nesters that remodel abandoned mud nests rather than constructing their own, and hunt spiders including black widows as prey for their larvae.
Coelioxys coturnix
Coelioxys coturnix is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as sharp-tailed bees or cuckoo leafcutting bees. As a cleptoparasite, females do not construct their own nests or provision cells with pollen. Instead, they exploit nests of host bees in the genus Megachile, laying eggs in host cells where their larvae kill the host offspring and consume the stored provisions. The species has been documented exhibiting hospicidal behavior, where the parasitic larva actively kills the host egg or larva.
cleptoparasitecuckoo-beeMegachilidaesolitary-beehospicidal-behaviorsharp-tailed-beecuckoo-leafcutting-beenest-parasiteMegachile-parasitenative-beepollinator-communitybee-hotel-inhabitantlarval-instars-describedPérez-1884PalaearcticNearcticAfrotropicalOrientalmultiple-continentschemical-cue-trackingpopulation-regulationnon-stingingno-nest-constructionpollen-transport-absentabdominal-spinehost-egg-killinglarval-development-on-host-provisionsseasonal-emergence-synchronized-with-hostmale-patrolling-behaviornest-tunnel-entry-during-host-absenceartificial-nesting-block-use-indicatorbee-conservation-indicator-speciesspecialized-parasitenative-bee-diversity-componentno-direct-agricultural-roleobserver-interest-speciesbee-monitoring-targetmorphological-identification-required-for-species-levelgenus-level-traits-well-documentedspecies-specific-details-limited-in-sourcesCoelioxys modestus
Modest Sharptail
Coelioxys modestus is a species of solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Modest Sharptail. It is a cleptoparasitic bee that targets other Megachilidae, particularly leafcutter bees (Megachile). The species occurs in North America, with records from the northeastern United States including Vermont. Like other Coelioxys, females possess a distinctive pointed abdomen adapted for inserting eggs into host nests.
Coelioxys obtusiventris
Coelioxys obtusiventris is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae, first described by Crawford in 1914. Like other members of the genus Coelioxys, this species is a cleptoparasite that exploits the nests of leafcutter bees (Megachile spp.). The female lays her egg in the host's provisioned nest cell, and her larva kills the host egg or larva before consuming the stored pollen and nectar. This species occurs in North America and is one of approximately 50 species in the genus Coelioxys worldwide.
cleptoparasitecuckoo-beeleafcutter-bee-parasiteMegachilidaesolitary-beeNorth-Americabee-hotel-inhabitantHymenopteraApoideaCoelioxysMegachile-parasitenest-parasitepollinator-parasite1914-descriptionCrawfordendoparasitoidbee-biologynative-beewild-beegarden-beeartificial-nest-userbee-conservation-indicatorCoelioxys rufitarsis
red-legged cuckoo leafcutter bee, red-footed cuckoo leafcutter
Coelioxys rufitarsis is a cleptoparasitic bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the red-legged cuckoo leafcutter bee. Native to North America, this species does not construct its own nests but instead parasitizes the nests of other megachilid bees, particularly leafcutter bees in the genus Megachile. Females deposit eggs in host nest cells, and their larvae kill the host egg or larva before consuming the pollen provisions intended for the host offspring.
Dioxys productus
Dioxys productus is a species of solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, tribe Dioxyini. The species was described by Cresson in 1879 and is known from North America and Middle America. Members of the genus Dioxys are cleptoparasitic bees that lay their eggs in the nests of other megachilid bees.
Epeolus australus
Epeolus australus is a cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee in the genus Epeolus, a group of bees that do not construct their own nests or collect pollen. Like other members of its genus, this species invades the nests of host bees, primarily those in the genus Colletes (polyester bees), where it lays eggs that hatch into larvae that consume the host's provisions and offspring. The species is one of approximately 43 known Epeolus species in North America, with new species in this genus continuing to be described due to their small size, rarity relative to their hosts, and wasp-like appearance that makes them difficult to detect.
Epeolus compactus
Compact Cellophane-Cuckoo
Epeolus compactus is a cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. It is a specialized nest parasite of Colletes kincaidii, a ground-nesting polyester bee. The species occurs in North America and Mexico. Females enter host nests during the provisioning phase to lay eggs on pollen masses, and the resulting larvae consume both the host egg and its pollen provision.
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 pusillus
Dwarf Cellophane-cuckoo Bee
Epeolus pusillus is a cleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cresson in 1864. The species is a specialized nest parasite of two cellophane bee species in the genus Colletes: C. compactus and C. ciliatoides. As a cuckoo bee, females lay eggs in host nests where their larvae kill the host egg or larva and consume the pollen provisions. The species is known from the United States and Mexico.
Hedychridium dimidiatum
Hedychridium dimidiatum is a species of cuckoo wasp in the family Chrysididae. These small, brilliantly metallic wasps are nest parasites of predatory solitary wasps, particularly beewolves in the genus Philanthus. The species has been documented as a suspected parasite of Philanthus gibbosus in North America. Like other chrysidids, females enter host nests to lay eggs, and when threatened can roll into a tight ball where their dense, sculptured cuticle protects them from stings and bites.
Hypsopygia
Hayworms
Hypsopygia is a genus of pyralid moths described by Jacob Hübner in 1825. Members are relatively large compared to other pyralids. The genus has undergone extensive taxonomic revision, with several former genera (Dolichomia, Herculia, Ocrasa, Orthopygia, Pseudasopia) now mostly merged into it. Species exhibit diverse ecological strategies: some are nest parasites of social wasps, while others are pests of stored hay and dried vegetation. Several species are attracted to light and are nocturnal.
Leiopodus singularis
Singular Turret-Cuckoo
Leiopodus singularis is a kleptoparasitic bee species in the family Apidae. It is a specialized brood parasite that targets the nests of Diadasia olivacea, a host bee species. The species exhibits distinctive behavioral adaptations for nest infiltration, including prolonged perching outside host nests and multiple brief inspection visits before oviposition. Its life cycle involves direct larval combat where the first instar kills the much larger host larva.
Limothrips denticornis
barley thrips
Limothrips denticornis is a grass-dwelling thrips species with a Holarctic distribution. It is primarily associated with cereal crops, particularly spring barley, where females deposit eggs within leaf sheaths during inflorescence emergence. The species has been documented as an incidental nest parasite of birds and mammals, entering nests passively on grass nest materials. It has been recorded in museum environments as a secondary pest associated with damaged artworks.
Melecta separata callura
Melecta separata callura is a subspecies of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. As a member of the genus Melecta, it is a cleptoparasite that exploits the nests of other bee species. The subspecies was described by Cockerell in 1926.
Meloe strigulosus
Meloe strigulosus is a blister beetle in the family Meloidae, characterized by its phoretic larval behavior involving attachment to other organisms for transport. The species has been documented in coastal dune habitats in Oregon, where its ecological relationships have been specifically studied. Adults possess the typical oil beetle morphology with shortened elytra that expose much of the abdomen. Like other Meloe species, it produces cantharidin, a defensive compound toxic to vertebrates.
Nemognatha
Nemognatha is a genus of blister beetles (family Meloidae, subfamily Nemognathinae) containing at least 20 described species. Adults are distinguished by greatly elongated maxillary mouthparts adapted for nectar feeding from flowers with deep corollas. The genus exhibits specialized reproductive biology: females serve as vectors for first-instar larvae, transporting them to host nests of bees where they develop as parasites. This phoretic transport mechanism and nest parasitism represent distinctive life history traits within the Meloidae.
Nomada vicina
Neighborly Nomad
Nomada vicina is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1863. As a member of the genus Nomada, it exhibits kleptoparasitic behavior, laying eggs in the nests of host bee species rather than constructing its own nests. The species is known from North America with confirmed records from Vermont and other regions. Like other Nomada species, it likely targets nests of mining bees in the genus Andrena. The common name "Neighborly Nomad" reflects both its parasitic lifestyle and its taxonomic proximity to related species.
Nysson rusticus
Nysson rusticus is a species of solitary wasp in the family Crabronidae (formerly placed in Bembicidae). The species occurs in North America and has two recognized subspecies: N. r. rusticus and N. r. sphecodoides. Like other members of the genus Nysson, this species is a nest parasite of ground-nesting crabronid wasps.
Oeciacus vicarius
American swallow bug, cliff swallow bug, swallow nest bug
Oeciacus vicarius is a blood-feeding cimicid bug specialized as an ectoparasite of colonially nesting American cliff swallows (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota). It is widely distributed across North America, where it inhabits swallow nests in natural and anthropogenic structures. The species is a known vector of Buggy Creek Virus (Alphavirus, Togaviridae). Though it will bite humans when encountered, it does not establish persistent infestations in human dwellings.
Ornithomya
bird louse flies
Ornithomya is a genus of louse flies (family Hippoboscidae) comprising approximately 31 species of obligate avian ectoparasites. All species are blood-feeding parasites of birds, primarily Passeriformes. Adults are dorsoventrally flattened with reduced or absent wings in many individuals. The genus exhibits adenotrophic viviparity, with larvae developing entirely within the female and deposited as fully mature third instars that immediately pupate. Species show varying degrees of host specificity correlated with bird nesting ecology.
Ozaena lemoulti
Ozaena lemoulti is a carabid beetle in the subfamily Paussinae with an obligate myrmecophilous lifestyle across all life history stages. Molecular gut content analysis confirms that adults exclusively prey on Camponotus ants, using specialized piercing-sucking feeding behavior rather than typical carabid crushing. First instar larvae are morphologically modified for life within ant nests, possessing long running legs and lacking the burrow-dwelling adaptations found in other ozaenines. This species represents an independent evolutionary origin of myrmecophily within Paussinae, distinct from the tribe Paussini.
Phanagenia bombycina
Phanagenia bombycina is a solitary spider wasp in the family Pompilidae, tribe Auplopini. It constructs delicate mud barrel nests to house paralyzed spider prey and developing larvae. The species is found east of the Rocky Mountains and is slightly larger than related Auplopus species. Uniquely, it frequently builds its mud cells inside the abandoned nests of the pipe organ mud dauber (Trypoxylon politum).
Phlebopenes
Phlebopenes is a genus of parasitoid wasps in family Eupelmidae. Species were historically hypothesised to parasitise wood-boring beetles, but recent evidence from rearing records and direct observation indicates they are parasitoids of solitary wasps and bees. Phlebopenes longicaudata has been documented attacking nests of oil-collecting bees in the genus Tetrapedia.
Phrosinella fulvicornis
Phrosinella fulvicornis is a species of satellite fly in the family Sarcophagidae, subfamily Miltogramminae. It was originally described as Gymnoprosopa fulvicornis by Coquillett in 1895 and later transferred to the genus Phrosinella. The species has been documented as a nest parasite of the digger wasp Clitemnestra bipunctata. As a member of the Miltogramminae, it exhibits the kleptoparasitic life history typical of this group, with adult females entering host nests to deposit larvae on stored prey.
Podium rufipes
Podium rufipes is a thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, averaging 19 mm in length. Females are known to repurpose abandoned nests from Sceliphron wasps and wood-boring beetles, or construct trap nests in wood. The species provisions its young with paralyzed cockroach nymphs.
Protocalliphora
bird blowflies, bird blow flies
Protocalliphora is a genus of blow flies (Calliphoridae) comprising obligate hematophagous parasites of birds. Larvae develop in bird nests and feed on the blood of nestlings, with more than 140 bird species recorded as hosts. The genus is distributed across the Holarctic region (Nearctic and Palaearctic). Adults overwinter and exhibit complex interactions with Wolbachia endosymbionts that complicate species identification through DNA barcoding.
Sapyga
Sapyga is a genus of sapygid wasps comprising at least 19 described species. Species in this genus are cleptoparasites (kleptoparasites) of solitary bees, particularly megachilid bees. They enter host nests to lay eggs in unfinished or provisioned cells, with their larvae consuming host provisions and killing host larvae. The genus exhibits specialized parasitic adaptations including the ability to oviposit through cell closures.
Sceliphron
black-and-yellow mud dauber wasps, black mud-dauber wasps, mud daubers
Sceliphron is a genus of solitary sphecid wasps comprising 34 valid species, commonly known as black-and-yellow mud daubers or black mud-dauber wasps. Females construct nests from mud, building individual cells that they provision with paralyzed spiders as food for their larvae. The genus exhibits remarkable synanthropic behavior, with many species readily nesting on human structures. Several species have become invasive outside their native ranges, including S. caementarium (native to North America, now widespread globally) and S. curvatum (native to Central Asia, spreading through Europe and recently detected in North America).
Senotainia trilineata
Three-lined satellite fly
Senotainia trilineata is a satellite fly in the family Sarcophagidae, subfamily Miltogramminae. It is a kleptoparasitic fly that targets the nests of solitary wasps, particularly species in the families Crabronidae and Sphecidae. The female fly deposits live larvae (larviposits) on or near paralyzed prey being transported by host wasps, or directly at nest entrances. The fly larvae then consume the provisioned prey intended for the wasp's offspring. This species has been documented as a parasite of multiple wasp genera including Ammophila, Cerceris, Hoplisoides, and Aphilanthops, and has also been recorded parasitizing the jewel beetle Phaenops vandykei.
Stelis australis
Stelis australis is a species of cleptoparasitic bee in the family Megachilidae, described by Cresson in 1878. As a member of the genus Stelis, this species is a nest parasite of other solitary bees, particularly those in the family Megachilidae. The specific epithet 'australis' suggests a southern distribution, though detailed biological information remains limited. Like other Stelis species, females likely enter host nests to lay eggs in provisioned cells, with larvae consuming the host's pollen stores and sometimes the host egg or larva.
Toxophora
bee flies
Toxophora is a genus of bee flies (family Bombyliidae) comprising approximately 47 described species with worldwide distribution. These flies are characterized by a distinctive hunchbacked, robust body form and are most abundant in the southwestern United States and western Mediterranean region. Larvae are parasitoids of solitary wasps and bees, particularly in the family Vespidae.
Toxophora amphitea
Toxophora amphitea is a species of bee fly in the family Bombyliidae. It is known from eastern North America, ranging from Ontario south to Florida and Texas. The species has been documented as a parasite of mason wasp nests, specifically those of Ancistrocerus campestris. As a member of the subfamily Toxophorinae, it belongs to a group of bee flies characterized by particular morphological and ecological traits.
Trichodes bibalteatus
checkered beetle
Trichodes bibalteatus is a species of checkered beetle in the family Cleridae. It is among the largest and most strikingly-colored species in its genus, which contains 11 North American species. Adults are frequently found on flowers where they feed on pollen and nectar, and also use flowers as mating sites. The species has been documented in Oklahoma and other parts of western North America.
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.