Natural History Photographs


Kleptoparasitic interactions among animals
Hymenoptera: Apidae

Bees, or Anthophila, are basically vegetarian wasps. Most bees collect pollen to provision their larvae; the food is stored in a nest. Whenever such a resource is reliably present, organisms will evolve to profit from such resources. Since bees store reliably pollen, species have evolved that capitalize on these resources. Among the species that evolved to exploit the pollen hoarded by bees are kleptoparasitic bees - remarkably many even. The photos below show a selection of kleptoparasitic bee species, together with their (possible) host.



Kleptoparasite

(Possible) hosts

Coelioxys brevis Megachile spec. Megachile spec.
Karataş (Adana), Turkey;
14 June 2011.
Fethiye (Muğla), Turkey;
7 June 2012.



Göksü delta (Mersin), Turkey;
15 June 2011.



Coelioxys mandibularis Megachile leachella
A'damse Waterleidingduinen,
the Netherlands; 3 June 2007.
Amsterdamse Waterleidingduinen, the Netherlands;
24 July 2010 & 3 June 2007.



Epeoloides coecutiens Macropis europaea
Drents-Friese Woud,
the Netherlands; 1 August 2010.
Drents-Friese Woud,
the Netherlands; 1 August 2010.



Epeolus cruciger Colletes succinctus
Aekingerzand, the Netherlands;
30 July 2010.
Aekingerzand, the Netherlands; 2 August 2008.



Epeolus spec. Colletes hylaeiformis
Göksü delta (Mersin), Turkey;
15 June 2011.
Göksü delta (Mersin), Turkey; 15 June 2011.



Melecta spec. Anthophora spec. Anthophora spec.
Nemrut caldera (Bitlis), Turkey;
7 June 2010.
Adilcevaz (Bitlis), Turkey;
8 June 2010.



Göksü delta (Mersin), Turkey;
16 June 2011.



Nomada alboguttata Andrena barbilabris
Aekingerzand, the Netherlands;
21 April 2007.
AW-duinen, the Netherlands;
3 May 2008.



Blaricum, the Netherlands;
26 April 2008.



Nomada fabriciana Andrena bicolor Andrena chrysosceles
Amstelveen, the Netherlands;
31 March 2007.
Amstelveen, the Netherlands;
27 March 2011.



Amstelveen, the Netherlands;
29 April 2009.



Nomada lathburiana Andrena vaga
Blaricum, the Netherlands;
11 April 2007.



Blaricum, the Netherlands;
11 April 2007.



Sphecodes albilabris Colletes cunicularius
Blaricum, the Netherlands;
11 April 2007.



Amstelveen, the Netherlands;
1 April 2009.



Stelis punctulatissima Anthidium manicatum
Amstelveen, the Netherlands;
2 June 2007.



Amsterdam, the Netherlands;
13 June 2007.



Amstelveen, the Netherlands; 30 June 2007.



Thyreus spec. Anthophora spec.
Nemrut caldera (Bitlis), Turkey;
7 June 2010.
Koruklu (Bitlis), Turkey;
9 June 2010.