🐝 Ants, Bees & Wasps

Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee

Psithyrus vestalis

About Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee

A brood parasitic bumblebee that takes over colonies of the Buff-tailed Bumblebee. The female kills or subdues the host queen and uses the workers to raise her own offspring.

πŸ’‘

Did You Know?

Females infiltrate host bumblebee nests and take them over by force, enslaving the workers to raise cuckoo brood.

Distribution

Where Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee can be found

Seasonal Activity

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Peak activity Moderate Low / dormant
Cite This Page

APA:
Orbitrock. (2026). Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee (Psithyrus vestalis). Retrieved from https://orbitrock.com/insect/vestal-cuckoo-bumblebee

MLA:
"Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee." Orbitrock, https://orbitrock.com/insect/vestal-cuckoo-bumblebee.