Nomada besseyi

Swenk, 1913

Bessey's Nomad Bee

Nomada besseyi is a of cuckoo bee in the Apidae, first described by Swenk in 1913. Like other members of the Nomada, it is a kleptoparasite that lays its in the nests of species, particularly mining bees in the genus Andrena. The species is native to North America and exhibits the characteristic -like appearance typical of nomad bees, lacking the branched body hairs used for pollen collection by non-parasitic bees.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Nomada besseyi: //nəʊˈmɑːdə ˈbɛsaɪ.i//

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Distribution

North America. Specific records include the United States, with the present in the central and western regions based on available collection data.

Diet

Kleptoparasitic; larvae consume pollen and nectar stores collected by bees. feed on nectar from flowers.

Host Associations

Andrena - KleptoparasiteLays in nests of Andrena mining bees; specific for N. besseyi not confirmed in available sources.

Behavior

As a kleptoparasitic , females locate nests and deposit in provisioned . Males have been observed to patrol areas near host nesting . The lacks nest-building and does not collect pollen for offspring provisioning.

Ecological Role

Acts as a natural control on . Contributes to pollination through nectar feeding, though less effective than non-parasitic bees due to reduced hair .

Human Relevance

Of interest to researchers and conservation biologists studying native bee and parasitic bee- dynamics. Not known to be economically significant.

Similar Taxa

Nomada flavoguttataBoth are North American Nomada with similar kleptoparasitic and -like coloration; N. flavoguttata has been more extensively studied for mating including antennal grabbing.
Nomada goodenianaEuropean with similar black and yellow patterning and Andrena associations; differs in geographic range.

More Details

Taxonomic note

The specific epithet 'besseyi' honors Charles Bessey, an American botanist and entomologist.

Research context

While detailed studies of N. besseyi itself are limited, research on congeneric such as N. flavoguttata has documented novel mating including 'antennal grabbing' where males wind around females during copulation, potentially transferring that aid female mimicry.