Broad-faced Sweat Bee vs Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Broad-faced Sweat Bee | Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Lasioglossum platycephalum | Bombus variabilis |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Hymenoptera |
| Family | Halictidae | Apidae |
| Size | 7-9 mm | 15-22 mm |
| Habitat | Rivers & Streams | Grasslands |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Parasites |
| Regions | Europe | Central and Eastern North America |
| Conservation | Near Threatened | Critically Endangered |
Broad-faced Sweat Bee
A rare and distinctive European furrow bee with an unusually broad, flattened head. It nests in sandy or gravelly soils and has become scarce throughout much of its range.
Did You Know?
Its flattened head shape is thought to be an adaptation for more efficiently excavating nest tunnels in compacted sandy soil.
Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee
A rare social parasite bumble bee that takes over colonies of other Bombus species in North America. Queens invade host nests, kill the resident queen, and enslave her workers.
Did You Know?
It produces no workers of its own and depends entirely on the labor of its host species to raise its offspring.