Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee vs Elephant Dung Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee | Elephant Dung Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Bombus variabilis | Heliocopris dilloni |
| Order | Hymenoptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Apidae | Scarabaeidae |
| Size | 15-22 mm | 35-55 mm |
| Habitat | Grasslands | Grasslands |
| Diet | Parasites | Dung Feeders |
| Regions | Central and Eastern North America | East Africa, Southern Africa |
| Conservation | Critically Endangered | Least Concern |
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.
Elephant Dung Beetle
A very large black dung beetle that specializes in elephant dung. Males have a prominent curved horn on the thorax.
Did You Know?
A single elephant dropping can attract over 4,000 dung beetles within 15 minutes of being deposited.