More on the Andrena/Nomada saga

Africa · #1 (**permalink**) 23-05-2009, 09:42 PM

I have managed to get decent shots of Nomada (I think marshamella) and Andrena (to be IDd) on the footpath of my house. Finally I get them in my own patch, I was starting to be a bit nervous about crouching in other people's front garden footpaths

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This pair seem to be waiting for the rain to stop before flying away yesterday. Note there is a dead one on the right hand corner.

There were several Nomada bees (looks like marshamella) getting in and out of the same crack in the concrete.

Geoff F · #2 (**permalink**) 24-05-2009, 08:10 PM

I'm afraid that I tend to easily get confused with Andrena. Those look quite hairy. Were the legs, particularly the hind legs, covered in dense yellowish hair? I was thinking about Andrena flavipes, although you are perhaps on the northern boundary for this species.

I don't think you will get a 100% positive ID from that Nomada photo. It looks possible for N. marshamella but from that angle it would be impossible to be certain.

Anyhow, hopefully this will spur some other more knowledgable people to reply.

Africa · #3 (**permalink**) 25-05-2009, 07:25 PM

Thank you Geoff. I am just not keen to kill anything to ID it. But luck was with me as today I found a dying Nomada in the same spot. I have tried to follow the male key in BWARS but it is a female (it has a sting!). It fits N. marshamella, though.

Africa · #4 (**permalink**) 25-05-2009, 07:40 PM

As for the Andrena, I don't think it is flavipes, the back legs seem to be covered on white and brown hairs. This shot of the same pair just outside the nest entrance shows their legs better.

Wouldn't it narrow down the species to know they are parasitized by N. marshamella?

JRsbugs · #5 (**permalink**) 25-05-2009, 07:51 PM

If the second yellow band on the abdomen of the Nomada is broken, it is N. marshamella.

The problem with your Andrena is they are too far away to see properly, but the last pics does look like A. carantonica. A. nitida also has similar leg colouring but with more dark hairs. Check them out on BWARS.

Janet

Africa · #6 (**permalink**) 25-05-2009, 08:25 PM

Thank you Jane, I don't do too close cropping so that I can see where they are in the photo, but my photos are quite large, so I can zoom in a check the details. Your comment on the bees being 'far away' got me thinking, as I have to submit the photos on a reduced resolution, the detail is lost when you zoom in. I will make sure next time I do as much cropping as possible before uploading. I feel quite satisfied I have a N.marshamella/A. carantonica pair down my front door.