Bombus (Psithyrus) Lepeletier, 1832
(cuckoo bees)

Interactions where Bombus (Psithyrus) is the dominant partner and gains from the process

The following relationships have been collated from the published literature (see 'Interaction References').

Stage Summary Taxon Vernacular Classification References Darwin Classification of Active Taxon Active Taxon Active Vernacular Active Taxon Uncertain Active State Active Part Active Stage Relationship Relationship Uncertain Relationship Geography Darwin Classification of Passive Taxon Passive Taxon Passive Vernacular Passive Taxon Uncertain Passive State Passive Part Passive Stage Passive Taxon's significance to Active Taxon Indoors etc Season
adult adult pollinates or fertilises flower Minor Orchis mascula Early Purple Orchid, Early-purple Orchid Asparagales: Orchidaceae Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide, Harrap, A. & S., 2009
 /Animalia/Arthropoda/Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apidae/Bombus (Psithyrus)/Bombus (Psithyrus)cuckoo beesadult Plant / pollinated /Plantae/Tracheophyta/Magnoliopsida/Asparagales/Orchidaceae/Orchis mascula/Orchis masculaearly purple orchid, early-purple orchidflowerMinor

Author & YearTitleSource
Harrap, A. & S., 2009Orchids of Britain & Ireland: a field and site guide2nd edition, 480pp, A&C Black Publishers Ltd

Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees) may also be included in 'feeds on' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees) may be included in 'fed on by' relations listed under the following higher taxa:

Subtaxon Rank Featured
subtaxa		 No of
interactions		 No of
references
Bombus barbutellus
Barbut’s Cuckoo Bee
Species 1 trophisms
Bombus bohemicus
Gipsy Cuckoo Bee, Gypsy Cuckoo Bee
Species 3 trophisms
Bombus campestris
Field Cuckoo Bee
Species 2 trophisms
Bombus rupestris
Hill Cuckoo Bee
Species 1 trophisms
Bombus sylvestris
Forest Cuckoo Bumblebee
Species 2 trophisms
Bombus vestalis
Vestal Cuckoo Bee
Species 1 trophisms
Taxonomic hierarchy:
SubgenusBombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees)
GenusBombus (bumble bees or humble bees & cuckoo bees)
FamilyAPIDAE (bees)
SuperfamilyAPOIDEA (solitary and hive bees)
InfraorderAculeata (aculeates: bees, wasps and ants)
SuborderAPOCRITA (bees, wasps, ants and parasitoids)
OrderHYMENOPTERA (ants, bees and wasps, sawflies and parasitoid wasps)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees)

Identification Works

Handling & MagnificationAuthorYearTitleSource
in the field () Falk, S. 2011 Warwickshire’s bumblebees
in the field () Prys-Jones, O.E. & Corbet, S.A. 1987 Bumblebees Naturalists’ Handbooks, 6, 92pp, The Richmond Publishing Co. Ltd

Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

General Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Edwards, M. & Williams, P. 2004 Where have all the bumblebees gone, and could they ever return? British Wildlife Vol 15, No. 5: 305-312.
Heath, J. & Alford, D.V. 1973 Provisional atlas of the insects of the British Isles. part 3 Hymenoptera - Apidae (Bombus:Psithyrus) Bumblebees. 27pp, Biological Records Centre

Literature listed under the following higher taxa may also be relevant to Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees):

BioImagesBioImages (www.bioimages.org.uk) has 72 images of Bombus (Psithyrus) (cuckoo bees)
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