Gypsy's cuckoo bumblebee
Bombus bohemicus, also known as the gypsy's cuckoo bumblebee, is a species of socially parasitic cuckoo bumblebee found in most of Europe with the exception of the southern Iberian Peninsula and Iceland. B. bohemicus practices inquilinism, or brood parasitism, of other bumblebee species. B. bohemicus is a generalist parasite, successfully invading several species from genus Bombus. The invading queen mimics the host nest's chemical signals, allowing her to assume a reproductively dominant role as well as manipulation of host worker fertility and behavior.
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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OviparousOviparous animals are female animals that lay their eggs, with little or no other embryonic development within the mother. This is the reproductive...
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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starts withQueens are around 15–20 mm in length with a round face and a short proboscis. Hair on the face and head is black, with a pale yellow collar that normally lacks any intermixed black hairs. The abdomen is mostly black, often with yellow hairs on the first tergite (abdominal segment), pale yellow sides on the third tergite and a white or pale yellow tail end. Males in northern Scotland sometimes have yellow tails instead of white. The defining physical trait in comparison to non-Cuckoo bumblebees is that B. bohemicus lacks corbiculae, or pollen sacks, on its posterior tibia, instead the area is covered in dense hair. Females have very thick cuticles, longer and more powerful stings, and larger venom sacs and Dufour's glands compared to its host species. Males are smaller, around 11–17 mm in length and similarly colored to females. Males are stingless. B. bohemicus does not produce any workers; instead, they enslave the host workers.
B. bohemicus does not exhibit any nest-building behavior; instead, they move into newly established host nests and usurp the host queen. B. bohemicus parasitizes three species: B. locurum, B. cryptarum, and B. terrestris.
B. Bohemicus is one of the most common Cuckoo bees in Europe. This bumblebee is distributed through most of Europe, from within the Arctic Circle to northern Spain and Greece and from Britain and Ireland in the west to eastern Russia. It is also found in Turkey. In Britain, it is common in the southwestern peninsula, northern England, and Scotland. In the southeastern part, however, it is rare (with exception of the East Anglian brecks). B. bohemicus lives in temperate climates and is found in the same temperate habitats as its host bee species, allowing for easier access to host nests. However, it does show differences from its hosts in flower preference for foraging. This is likely due to the fact that it forages solely for nectar, and it differs in the timing of foraging behavior during its life cycle. It prefers to forage in scrub-type flowering plants.
In analyses of population densities of both host bees and B. bohemicus, there appears to be a threshold host population density at which the parasites are able to maintain a presence. This threshold has not been accurately quantified, but areas of low host population density have been observed to be free of cuckoo-bee parasites.
New reproductive males and females emerge from the nest from late June onward to mate. Queens hibernate through the winter once they have been fertilized. Males may be seen until late September, after the conclusion of reproduction, eventually all dying before the onset of winter.
Mating occurs in mid to late summer. B. bohemicus shows a 1:1 offspring sex ratio, consistent with production of only reproductively active offspring.
B. bohemicus does not act as a pollinator, as it has lost its pollen-collecting corbiculae and produces no worker females. Interaction with humans is minimal, as B. bohemicus individuals are only rarely found outside of nests, and do not exhibit aggressive behavior towards humans unless disturbed.
