Cuckoo bees, Nomada goodeniana
Cuckoo bee, Nomada goodeniana (submitted by NaturePlus user davidmorison)
Bees in the group Nomada are often confused with wasps.
They are cleptoparasites of solitary bees, which means they steal their food supplies. They behave like ‘cuckoos’, laying their eggs within the nests of solitary bees (Andrena sp.), so their larvae can feed on the nectar and pollen stored for the solitary bee’s own larvae.
This particular species generally has black and yellow or brown and yellow banding on a hairless abdomen. Males are identified by 2 yellow spots on the thorax, while females do not have a spotted thorax.
The adults are likely to be seen between the months of April and June.
