The Neon Cuckoo Bee (Thyreus nitidulus). Arguably one of the coolest looking bees in Australia. Neon Cuckoo Bees are a solitary parasitic species. Instead of constructing a nest of her own, an individual female cuckoo sneaks into the soil nests of blue banded bees to lay her eggs. The blue banded bee does all the foraging for pollen and nectar, but may end up provisioning one or some of the cuckoo's eggs instead of one or some of her own. 15% of the world's 20,000+ bee species are thought to be parasites.
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