Biogeography of cuckoo bees and their hosts

Parasite present-day geographical distribution, although also influenced by climatic and other biological factors, typically mirrors that of their hosts.. Insect brood parasites, like cuckoo bees, are usually specialized in attacking hosts of specific lineages, but are less restricted by hosts' biogeographical movements than obligate parasites. Using a new phylogenetic framework for cuckoo oil bees in the Ericrocidine line and their oil bee hosts, Centris and Epicharis, we aimed to test the biogeographical congruence between the timing of range shifts through the evolutionary history of cleptoparasites and their hosts.