4/16/21 - Nomad Cuckoo Bees
If you have posted many bee photos on here, or spent much time looking at other people’s observations, you are probably well aware that some genera are much less likely to be identified to species from photos than others. Among the most unlikely genera to be identified to species are the Nomad Cuckoo Bees (Nomada). These cleptoparasitic bees are abundant, brightly colored, and nearly as diverse as their hosts - primarily Mining Bees (genus Andrena).
While you are unlikely to get identifiable images of Nomad Cuckoos, especially in the spring, there is still value in documenting the phenology, locations, and morphological diversity of this fascinating genus. They can be found on a wide variety of flowers, but are perhaps easiest to locate as they search for nests. Any area with bare soil, especially sand is likely to have nesting bees, and if there are Mining Bees (or other Nomad hosts such as Striped Sweat Bees) present, there will likely be Nomad Bees cruising low over the ground looking for nests to invade. If they aren’t cooperating for photographs, they can be netted and cooled in a cooler or fridge, then placed in a convenient spot to photograph as they warm up. The spring Nomad Cuckoos will mostly be done flying by the end of June, but a distinct group will emerge in late summer to parasitize the fall Mining Bees - luckily the fall Nomad Cuckoos are easier to identify. Look for another post about them this fall.
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