Flavous Nomad Bee (Nomada Flava, Panzer, 1798)
Family: Apidae,
Female Length: 7.5 to 10 mm (males average smaller in size)
Flight season: Univoltine, from late March till June (peaking late spring)
Nomad bees are parasitic, their larva feeding on the Andrea species of bee and have a wasp like appearance.
Hosts are primarily Andrena scotica, also likely hosts are A. ferox, A. nitida and A. nigroaenea
In the early part of the season, they will be seen mainly flying close to the ground, searching for a host’s nest. When a host’s nest site is found and by following similar traits to a cuckoo bee, she 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.
For feeding, they mainly rely on the pussy-willow blossom for pollen, so their numbers will peak during this period.
This is one of the commonest bees found over much of southern Britain, scarcer the more north you go. As yet not recorded in Scotland and Ireland.
Habitat: In open sites and woodlands, along woodland edges, farmland, heathland and coastal sites;
Main Flower’s visited: A variety of spring flowering shrubs and fruit blossoms, Bluebells, Greater Stitchwort, Wood Spurge, Rape, Dandelions, Cow Parsley and Garlic Mustard.
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”.
Below are images of the male and female, (scutum is red stripped on the female)