Scientists have discovered 15 new species of cuckoo bees hidden in North American museum collections and in an ancient thesis.
Like their avian counterparts, cuckoo bees lay their eggs in the nests of other bees, usually solitary dwellers.
When the cuckoos hatch they kill off the usurped bees' larva and are raised by the unsuspecting host.
Researchers say that this type of behaviour is common in bees and up to 15% of species are cuckoos.
While there are many different genera, or types, of cuckoo bees, all the new discoveries relate to one genus, Epeolus. The new findings bring to 43 the total of Epeolus species in North America.
These cuckoos are said to look more like wasps than other bees, with a smoother, less fuzzy look. This is because they don't have the body hairs that other bees u=read more
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