vulture bee

Noun

vulture bee (plural vulture bees)

1. Any of various bee species in the genus Trigona that feed on carrion.
   • National Geographic Explorer: Ten Incredible Years, 7 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, TBS. Highlights of a decade's worth of Explorer programs that featured, just for starters, the first peek at the Titanic since its 1912 sinking, the world's biggest sumo wrestler and the flesh-eating vulture bee of Panama.1996 July 16, Lynne Elber, “Rerun relief”, in Sun Sentinel, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, page 3.E
   • Like most adult bees, the vulture bee, Trigona hypogea (Tree-GO-na hyPO-jee-A), collects food to bring back to the nest so it can feed its young. But rather than slurp up pollen and nectar from flowers as most bees do, vulture bees gather meat.2004 September 6, Jeanna Bryner, “Bee got your tongue?”, in Science World, volume 61, page 21