Although many people see parasites as a nuisance, they are part of our ecosystems. Where are your parasite obs.?
Rules: Must be your observation, parasites that are parasitic, i.e. they are parasites in the life stage you observed them in, and lastly no plant parasites as that is too highly diversified.
Lemon Cuckoo Bumble Bees are kleptoparasites of other bumblebees; They kill the queen of an social species’ nest and then the workers raise their young. They can be distinguished from other bumblebees by their lack of corbiculae (pollen baskets) on the hindlegs.
I found this one near some Common Eastern Bumblebees. I figured there might have been a nest nearby.
From the Wikipedia article on this family (Eulimidae):
Eulimidae may encompass more than 4,000 species. Even this may be unerestimated. A huge sampling effort in New Caledonia area estimated that 80% of the eulimids collected may represent undescribed species. These small parasitic snails live on (or in some cases in) the bodies of echinoderms such as sea cucumbers, sea urchins, sea stars, etc. All species lack a radula, in most cases possessing a proboscis which they extend into their host’s body cavity in order to feed.
But, but, but - Dodder (Cuscuta) doesn’t count? It’s such a beautiful huge plant that is parasitic on other plants and comes in terrific colors. The Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) looks like white snow across the Chaparral when it blooms and then dull red when the flowers go to seed and then bright orange or yellow as the Dodder creeps all over it.
It’s a genuine parasite even if it doesn’t kill the host.
It does seem a little unfair to exclude plants because they are “too highly diversified.” Surely parasitic animals are more numerous and more highly diversified than parasitic plants.
I always love seeing these! I was so surprised to see them on British Columbia’s Invasive species watch list, considering the only species I’ve seen feeds exclusively on introduced/invasive Medicago species
I believe these fulfill your parasites that are parasitic rule as these are adults that will be facilitating their offspring (which maybe are the true parasites here in this query - you want to see them in action?) Let me know. (Subject= Have you observed parasitism?)?
and this parasite https://www.inaturalist.ca/observations/241142391 emerged from a Anthidium clypeodentatum which was collected and pinned without knowing it was continuing to be a host to the parasite which emerged some time later in the dark in the sealed collection box only to die in that box.
