Nest-usurpation
Guides
Bombus insularis
Indiscriminate Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Bombus insularis is a cuckoo bumble bee in the subgenus Psithyrus, native to northern and western North America. As a social parasite, it invades nests of host bumble bee species, usurps the resident queen, and exploits host workers to rear its own offspring. The species is known for its broad host range, attacking multiple bumble bee species across diverse habitats including tundra, taiga, and mountain ranges.
Minixi
Minixi is a small neotropical genus of potter wasps (Eumeninae) containing four described species. The genus exhibits a disjunct distribution pattern: Minixi mexicanum occurs from the southern United States through Mexico and Central America, while the remaining three species are distributed across eastern South America. Minixi brasilianum has been documented employing a dual nesting strategy, constructing new nests while simultaneously utilizing existing nests through renting or usurpation.
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis
Western Paper Wasp, Yellow-legged Paper Wasp
Mischocyttarus flavitarsis is a social paper wasp native to western North America, distinguished by its relatively docile defensive behavior compared to other vespids. Colonies are initiated in spring by foundress queens and persist until autumn, with nests typically containing fewer than 300 cells. The species exhibits flexible nesting habits, utilizing both natural cavities in riparian forests and anthropogenic structures such as building eaves. Unlike many social wasps, M. flavitarsis rarely stings, instead employing ramming behavior against perceived threats. Males engage in elaborate lekking and territorial scent-marking behaviors near female hibernation sites in autumn.
Podalonia robusta
cutworm wasp, cutworm hunter wasp
Podalonia robusta is a solitary, thread-waisted wasp in the family Sphecidae, subfamily Ammophilinae. Females hunt soil-dwelling caterpillars (cutworms), paralyze them with venom, and provision underground burrows as food for their larvae. Unlike most sphecid wasps, this species digs the burrow after capturing prey rather than before. The species has been observed in aggressive nest usurpation, where one female steals a paralyzed caterpillar from another's burrow. Both sexes aggregate in sheltered spaces, with hundreds of individuals sometimes clustering together.