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Photo#269212
Nomada imbricata - female

Nomada imbricata - Female
Valley Springs Park, Durham County, North Carolina, USA
April 23, 2009
Size: 12-14 mm
I thought these were Andrenids, and then realized they were Nomada--I had been puzzled that none of them seemed to be carrying pollen (Nomada are parasitic on Andrenids). Funny, there were only a few of the fuzzy yellow-and-black Andrena around, presumably the ones that dug the holes, and I could not get a photo. Also hovering around was a Bombylius pygmaeus, laying eggs (Flickr photo), and a Mutilid.

Presumed to be female--was entering Andrenid nests, presumably to lay eggs.

I'm linking several photos here, even though they were not all the same individual, in order to keep them together, in hopes of an ID. I think I'll go back to this colony and collect a few--it is right next to a sidewalk in a lawn.

Hmm. Looks a bit like this one, identified as Nomada imbricata:

(John agrees with this in comments!) Other individuals from the same colony, presumably the same species:


An associated Andrena, the presumed host species, photographed in the same "colony" two years later:

Moved
Moved from Nomada.

this does look like a Nomada imbricata
female

Great find!
I would love to see something like this. If they are laying eggs they must be females. And, do you have the dates?

 
date added, etc.
Oops, I have gotten used to Flickr where it adds the date from the EXIF automatically--date added, thanks for reminder.
Yes, I guess most would be females, but I wondered if there weren't some males on patrol as well. The size was real variable, and I thought that might be sexual dimorphism--or maybe not. (I guess it is safe to call them all females, absent other info.) I have one live specimen in the frig right now, plus a couple of the Andrenids, which were easier to catch.

The colony really looked like a bunch of anthills--only when I stopped and watched did I see all the bee activity. These things seem to be pretty widespread--I bet you'll find them if you look. This was on a lawn with very short grass. I've seen the Andrenids on bare ground before.

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