Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee Bombus bohemicus
The Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee is the spitting image of the Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee. The main difference is in the white band around the abdomen. In the Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee this is not a real band, for it is dented in the middle. Especially in males the middle part may even be absent, leaving two white spots on the side of the abdomen. But it is not always easy to see! The yellow band on the thorax comes in varying colours. It may be reddish brown, orange, dark yellow, yellow or even whitish yellow. Don't look at it to establish the species. In the Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee it often is just as variable. Females of the Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee measure 20 to 23 mm, reaching a wingspan of 36 to 44 mm. The males, measuring 15 to 18 mm, and reaching a wingspan of 28 to 34 mm are considerably smaller.
The Gypsy Cuckoo Bumblebee may appear in March, but usually is first seen in April. The females wait for the host, usually the White-tailed Bumblebee, to well establish her nest. Then she enters the nest, kills the White-tailed Bumblebee's queen and takes over the nest. She deposits her own eggs and disappears again. The workers of the host bring up her young. These young of course are either females or males, for Cuckoo Bumblebees don't have workers of their own. The drones and females appear in July and August. The drones mate with the females and then die. The females look for a good spot to overwinter. By the beginning of October the females all have found a hiding place and all males are dead.
The common English name may also be spelled as Gipsy Cuckoo Bumblebee. Scientifically the former names Psithyrus bohemicus and Psithyrus distinctus may still be encountered.
