This Cuckoo Bee is approximately 1/2 inch in length. It is black with ivory markings on the thorax and showy ivory bands on the abdomen. The antennae and legs are black. The wings are brownish-blue. Cuckoo bees usually look like wasps and lack a “basket” on the hind legs for transporting pollen.
The frequency of occurrence of this Cuckoo Bee is not known, but the individuals shown here were photographed in early July and early August in Fontenelle Forest.
This bee is in the subfamily Nomadinae. All bees in this group are kleptoparasites in the nests of other bees. The female enters the nest when the host is absent and lays eggs in the wall of the cell. The larvae of Triepeolus concavus eat the pollen and nectar stored for the host Sunflower Bee (Svastra obliqua). There are 104 species in the genus Triepeolus.
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