Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee vs Giant Resin Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee Giant Resin Bee
Scientific Name Bombus bohemicus Megachile sculpturalis
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Megachilidae
Size 15-22 mm 14-24 mm
Habitat Underground Woodlands
Diet Pollen Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, Northern Asia East Asia, North America, Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Gypsy Cuckoo Bumble Bee

A social parasite that invades colonies of other bumble bees, killing the queen and enslaving the workers. Females lack pollen baskets since they never collect pollen themselves.

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Did You Know?

After killing the host queen, the cuckoo female forces the orphaned workers to raise her own offspring instead.

Giant Resin Bee

A large solitary bee originally from East Asia now invasive in North America and Europe. It uses tree resin and mud to seal its nesting cavities.

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Did You Know?

It was first detected in the US in 1994 and has spread rapidly across the eastern states.