Thyreus nitidulus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Thyreus nitidulus, commonly known as the neon cuckoo bee, is a parasitic bee of the genus Thyreus, called cuckoo bees. It is a stocky bee, notable for its brilliant metallic blue- and black-banded colors. Originally described by Danish entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius in 1804 as Melecta nitidula – from a collection in the Aru Islands or northern Australia – it was given its current scientific name Thyreus nitidulus in 1959 by M. A. Lieftinck. The specific epithet is derived from the diminutive of the Latin adjective nitidus "shining" (i.e. "little shiny one").
Several subspecies are known - the nominate race T. n. nitidulus is found across eastern and northern Australia, specifically New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, and the Northern Territory, as well as New Guinea. Other species are found in Southeast Asia.
Like all bees, the neon cuckoo bee is covered by furry, branched, flattened hair, which is responsible for both the black and blue colours. Pale blue hair covers much of the face on the head, as well as patches on the sides of the thorax and the legs. The abdomen is striped with bright blue and black, and the transparent wings are purple-tinged brown in colour. The bee is sturdy in build, with a reinforced thorax.
The female neon cuckoo bee seeks out the burrow nests of the blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulata), and lays an egg into a partly completed brood cell while it is unguarded. The larval cuckoo bee then consumes the larder and later emerges from the cell. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raja Ampat | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | |
| 2 | Daintree National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Neon Cuckoo Bee sighting in Raja Ampat on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 21st most-seen of the 46 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Neon Cuckoo Bee in Raja Ampat on a given day, against under 5% in January–February, May–June, September and November, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Neon Cuckoo Bee sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 4 parks where we can rate Neon Cuckoo Bee sightings, Raja Ampat has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Daintree National Park (Australia, about 10%) and Royal National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same order: Hymenoptera
The closest relatives of the Neon Cuckoo Bee that you can see in Raja Ampat (order Hymenoptera, Ants, Bees, Wasps, and Sawflies) are Asian Weaver Ant (about 40%) and Yellow Crazy Ant (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Neon Cuckoo Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Raja Ampat (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
