Andrena-parasite
Guides
Nomada
Nomad Bees, Cuckoo Bees
Nomada is one of the largest genera in the family Apidae, with over 850 species worldwide. These bees are kleptoparasites that lay eggs in the nests of other bees, primarily ground-nesting species in the genus Andrena. Adult bees lack pollen-carrying scopa and are mostly hairless, feeding on nectar but not collecting pollen for offspring. The genus name derives from the Greek word for 'roaming' or 'wandering,' reflecting their parasitic lifestyle.
Nomada besseyi
Bessey's Nomad Bee
Nomada besseyi is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Swenk in 1913. Like other members of the genus Nomada, it is a kleptoparasite that lays its eggs in the nests of host bee species, particularly mining bees in the genus Andrena. The species is native to North America and exhibits the characteristic wasp-like appearance typical of nomad bees, lacking the branched body hairs used for pollen collection by non-parasitic bees.
Nomada bethunei
Bethune's Cuckoo Nomad Bee
Nomada bethunei is a species of kleptoparasitic cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Cockerell in 1903. As a member of the genus Nomada, it is an obligate nest parasite that lays eggs in the nests of host bee species, primarily Andrena mining bees. The species is found in North America, with records from Vermont and other regions. Like other Nomada species, it lacks the branched body hairs typical of pollen-collecting bees and instead relies on host bees to provision its offspring.
Nomada electa
nomad bee, cuckoo bee
Nomada electa is a species of kleptoparasitic nomad bee in the family Apidae, found in North America. As a cuckoo bee, it does not build its own nests or collect pollen, instead laying eggs in the nests of host bee species. The species was described by Cresson in 1863.
Nomada erigeronis
Nomada erigeronis is a species of nomad bee (cuckoo bee) in the family Apidae, first described by Robertson in 1897. Like other members of the genus Nomada, it is a kleptoparasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other bee species, particularly mining bees in the genus Andrena. The species is found in North America and is one of many Nomada species that exploit the nesting efforts of host bees rather than constructing their own nests or collecting pollen.
Nomada imbricata
Imbricate Cuckoo Nomad Bee
Nomada imbricata is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, first described by Smith in 1854. Like all Nomada species, it is a kleptoparasite that lays its eggs in the nests of host bee species, primarily members of the genus Andrena. The species exhibits the characteristic reduced hairiness of cuckoo bees, having lost the branched body hairs used by pollen-collecting bees. Its common name "Imbricate" refers to the overlapping scale-like pattern of its integument.
Nomada maculata
Spotted Nomad Bee
Nomada maculata, the Spotted Nomad Bee, is a kleptoparasitic bee species in the family Apidae. Like other members of the genus Nomada, it does not construct its own nest but instead lays eggs in the nests of host bee species, primarily ground-nesting bees in the genus Andrena. The species is found in North America, with documented records from the northeastern United States including Vermont. As a cuckoo bee, females enter host nests to deposit eggs, and the resulting larvae consume the host's pollen provisions and may destroy the host egg or larva.
Nomadini
Nomad bees
Nomadini is a tribe of cleptoparasitic bees within the subfamily Nomadinae, family Apidae. The tribe contains the genus Nomada, one of the largest genera of cuckoo bees with over 850 species worldwide. These bees are obligate cleptoparasites that lay eggs in the nests of other bees, primarily mining bees (Andrena). They lack pollen-carrying structures and exhibit wasp-like coloration with red, black, and yellow patterns.
Stylops
stylops
Stylops is a genus of obligately endoparasitic insects in the family Stylopidae, order Strepsiptera. Members are endoparasites of Hymenoptera, particularly bees in the family Andrenidae. The genus exhibits extreme sexual dimorphism: males are free-living with wings and functional limbs, while females are neotenic, legless, and remain permanently embedded within host abdomens with only the cephalothorax protruding. The genus has cosmopolitan distribution with numerous described species, though taxonomic status of many remains problematic due to reliance on poor female morphological characters.