Nomada goodeniana (kirby, 1802) Gooden’s Nomad Bee.
Family: Apidae,
Female length: 10 to 14mm Male length: 10 to 13mm.
Flight season: Throughout the year. (Southern Spain)
Images of this female were taken in the month of December, so it is presumed most of the year in the mild climate of Alicante, Spain.
Due to the long flying period here in Spain a second generation is more than likely achieved, (bivoltine).
When a host’s nest site is found and by following similar traits to a cuckoo bee, the female bee will deposit her eggs in the nest, doing this while the host female bee is absent. (The host female bee is probably collecting, pollen and nectar for her own larva). The Nomada bee larva will eventually kill the host’s eggs and larva, then until pupation they will continue to feed on the pollen and nectar intended for the host’s own young.
Gooden’s Nomad Bee is a common species, found over much of Europe, but more localised the further you go into the more northern countries of Europe.
Habitat: Mostly where you will find the Andrena species of bees, which covers a wide range of habitats, from coastal to inland places, including woodland and pine forests edges.
Flowers visited: Most seasonal flowers visited throughout the entire year, giving nectar and pollen for the adult bee to feed on.
Nomad Bees are considered poor pollinators, as they are mostly hairless and they lack a pollen-carrying scopa (a tuft of hairs where the pollen collects on the leg of a bee).
The name “Nomada” comes from the Greek word “Nomas”; meaning “wandering” or “roaming”.