Epeolus

Epeolus are small to medium-sized cuckoo-bees.They have a robust built, reddish legs and a dark cuticle that is covered in patches of velvety hair, creating complex visual patterns. Females are mostly black and red colored, with dark red eyes. Males are somewhat paler and have either light gray or green eyes. They attack exclusively the nests of bees from the genus Colletes and sometimes tend to visit the same flowers as them. Females can be spotted stalking the nesting grounds of the host, looking for unsealed nests. Once they have infiltrated the burrow, they lay an egg between the linings of the brood cell or on the food provisions. Upon hatching, the larva destroys the offspring of the host and consumes the provisions.