If a large, solitary female bee is observed early in spring, what might her role be if she is a 'hijacker'?
Answer
Cuckoo queen preparing for invasion
In early spring, a large, solitary female bee observed in the garden is typically a queen emerging from hibernation, either social or parasitic. If she is a social queen, she is beginning the arduous process of nest construction, expending personal energy to find a cavity and nurse her first larvae. If she is a cuckoo queen, she is operating as a 'hijacker.' Her entire focus during this time is dedicated to finding an active host colony where she can execute her invasion. Her goal is not production but resource takeover, preparing for the confrontation that will allow her to offload the labor onto the established, tending host queen.
#Videos
An introduction to the Cuckoo bumblebees with Clare Flynn - YouTube
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