| Thyreus lugubris | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Female | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Thyreus |
| Species: | T. lugubris |
| Binomial name | |
| Thyreus lugubris (Smith, 1879) | |
Thyreus lugubris, common name the domino cuckoo bee, is a species of Australian native bee belonging to the family Apidae, subfamily Apinae. [1]
As with the other bees in this genus, T. lugubris is kleptoparasitic. The hosts for Thyreus are bees of the genus Amegilla . Thyreus lugubris specifically targets the teddy bear bee, Amegilla bombiformis .
Females may be seen flying close to the ground searching for a host nest. Once a suitable nest is found, the female will enter it while the host parent is absent and bite a hole through the cap of a recently closed cell. It then places its abdomen through the hole and lays an egg close to the host egg before repairing the breach to the cell. [2]