This large (and in my opinion, very attractive) parasitic solitary bee takes over the nest of Bombus terrestris. The female enters the nest and kills the queen, then lays her own eggs to be reared by the Bombus terrestris workers. Mated female cuckoo bees hibernate through the winter and emerge in the spring to look for their hosts. This one paused in her search for a quick snack on the Mahonia, so I sneaked up behind her. With a chilly breeze I suspect she was glad of that fur coat.
Vestal Cuckoo Bumblebee, Bombus vestalis.
Sony ILCE-6000
Canon MP-E 65mm F2.8 G SSM
f9 1/100 ISO 250
