Cedar Creek
Natural History Area
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Insects of Cedar Creek
Order HYMENOPTERA
Family APIDAE
(Honeybees/Bumblebees)
This relatively small family (57 NA spp) includes the honeybee and bumblebees.
The common honeybee, Apis mellifera,
is ubiquitous. Perhaps ten species of Bombus
are also present at Cedar Creek. Most common are B. impatiens, B.
vagans, and B. fervidus.
Less common are B.
nevadensis, B. griseocollis, B. affinis, B. bimaculatus, B. ternarius,
B. borealis, and B.
rufocinctus?
Specimens of the parasitic genus Psythirus
(ashtoni, citrinus) are infrequently collected. Members of
this genus are social parasites on species of Bombus (i.e.
they kill the queen in a
Bombus colony, and Bombus workers
rear the male and female reproductives of the Psythirus female).