Sphecodopsis (original) (raw)

Sphecodopsis is a genus of cleptoparasitic "cuckoo" bees in the family Apidae. Endemic to southern Africa, the wasp-like bees of this genus are generally small, varying from 3.9 to 9 mm (0.15 to 0.35 in) in length, and mostly black, with orange-ish or reddish colouring of the metasoma in some of the species. The bee genus is recognised as a host for the cleptoparasitic life cycle of some Sphecodopsis, but further data regarding preferred hosts is not available for most of the species.