Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee vs White Clover Weevil

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Variable Cuckoo Bumble Bee White Clover Weevil
Scientific Name Bombus variabilis Protapion fulvipes
Order Hymenoptera Coleoptera
Family Apidae Brentidae
Size 15-22 mm 1.5-2.5 mm
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Parasites Seed Feeders
Regions Central and Eastern North America Europe
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.

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Did You Know?

It produces no workers of its own and depends entirely on the labor of its host species to raise its offspring.

White Clover Weevil

A minute black weevil with pale legs that feeds on white clover flower heads. Extremely common in pastures. Larvae consume developing clover seeds.

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Did You Know?

One of the most abundant beetles in European grasslands, with densities reaching thousands per square meter.