Pollinator-conservation
Guides
Bombus variabilis
Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee, Variable Cuckoo Bumblebee
Bombus variabilis is a parasitic bumble bee (subgenus Psithyrus) native to North America. It lacks the ability to collect pollen or establish its own colonies, instead infiltrating nests of host bumble bees to reproduce. The species is critically dependent on Bombus pensylvanicus as its primary host, making its survival tightly linked to host population trends. Bombus variabilis has experienced significant decline due to habitat loss and climate change affecting its host.
Colletes thoracicus
Rufous-backed Cellophane Bee, Rufous-chested Cellophane Bee
Colletes thoracicus, commonly known as the rufous-backed cellophane bee, is a solitary ground-nesting bee native to North America. It belongs to the family Colletidae, which are known as plasterer or cellophane bees due to their unique nesting behavior. Females construct individual burrows in sandy soils and line the interior chambers with a cellophane-like secretion produced by a gland in their abdomen, creating waterproof brood cells. This species emerges early in spring and is an important native pollinator of early-blooming plants.