Date: April
16, 2018
Source:
Pensoft Publishers
The Macropis Cuckoo Bee is one of
the rarest bees in North America, partly because of its specialized ecological
associations. It is a nest parasite of oil-collecting bees of the
genus Macropis which, in turn, are dependent on oil-producing flowers
of the genus Lysimachia.
In fact, the cuckoo bee -- which much like
its feather-bearing counterpart does not build a nest of its own, but lays its
eggs in those of other species instead -- is so rare that it was thought to
have gone extinct until it was collected in Nova Scotia, Canada, in the early
2000s. As a result, the Macropis Cuckoo Bee was brought to the
attention of the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada
(COSEWIC).
Recently, an individual reported from
Alberta, Canada, brought new hope for the survival of the species. In addition
to previously collected specimens from Ontario, this record greatly expands the
known range of the cuckoo.
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