Psithyrus, Print, Cuckoo bumblebees are members of the subgenus Psithyrus in the bumblebee genus Bombus. Until recently, the 29 species of Psithyrus were considered to constitute a separate genus. They are a specialized lineage which has lost the ability to collect pollen and to rear their brood. They have lost the worker caste and produce only sexuals, male and female. They are inquilines in the colonies of other bumblebees. Before finding and invading a host colony, a Psithyrus female feeds directly from flowers. Once she has infiltrated a host colony, the Psithyrus female usurps the nest: s

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Photo credit: © Gibon Art / Alamy / Afripics
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