Epeoloides
Encyclopedia
Epeoloides is a genus of cleptoparasitic
bee
s which lay their eggs in the nests of melittid bees
of the genus Macropis
.
Consists of two species
:
Kleptoparasitism
Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism is a form of feeding in which one animal takes prey or other food from another that has caught, collected, or otherwise prepared the food, including stored food...
bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
s which lay their eggs in the nests of melittid bees
Melittidae
The family Melittidae is a small bee family, with some 60 species in 4 genera, restricted to Africa and the northern temperate zone. Historically, the family has included the Dasypodaidae and Meganomiidae as subfamilies, but recent molecular studies indicate that Melittidae was paraphyletic, so...
of the genus Macropis
Macropis
Macropis is a genus of bees.-Description:Apoidea are of moderate size, not exceeding 15 mm. They have a livery predominantly black, males are characterized by conspicuous yellow markings on the head , but the females show morphological adaptations related to their foraging habits of flower oils,...
.
Consists of two species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
:
- Epeoloides coecutiens Fabricius, 1775
- Epeoloides pilosulusEpeoloides pilosulusEpeoloides pilosulus is one of only two species in the bee genus Epeoloides; it is cleptoparasitic in the nests of melittid bees of the genus Macropis...
(Cresson, 1878)