Blue-chequered Cuckoo Bee

Just as the familiar cuckoo birds (Fantailed Cuckoo, Shining bronze Cuckoo…) are brood parasites, there is a large family of bees that lay their eggs in the nests of other bees.

The Blue-chequered Cuckoo Bee, Thyreus caeruleopunctatus, parasitizes the nest of the Blue-banded Bee. ‘Thyreus’ in ancient Greek is ‘porter’, ‘caeruleus’ and ‘punctatus’ are Latin for ‘blue’ and ‘spotted’. It is a native, solitary bee.

The Thyreus family of bees is sometimes referred to as ‘cloak and dagger bees’, presumably for their deceptive behaviour.

The beautiful garden at Vue, Jindivick, was a buzz with these beauties on a recent visit.

Other links to explore this fascinating invertebrate:

iNaturalist: Blue-spotted Cloak and Dagger Bee

Bayside City Council: Bayside Native of the Day – Blue-chequered Cuckoo Bee.