Nomada sp. or something else?

[Geoff F]

S. Devon 12/04/10

Working through my unidentified files. I thought this was a Nomada species but, so far, I can't come close to a positive ID.



It is those dark legs and multi coloured antennae that are bothering me.

So can anybody make a suggestion? Possibly not a Nomada?

Have I just been looking at it for too long and confused myself. Or perhaps I am having another of those ID-ten-T moments?

[oxycera]

Certainly a Nomada.

[Geoff F]

Thanks, that has restored half of my confidence.

I'm afraid I only managed this one rather difficult photo.

[oxycera]

Well, hymenoptera specialists can provide good suggestions from excellent photos but by and large Nomada are quite tricky, even under the microscope.

[eucera]

I would be pretty confident that this is Nomada fabriciana, the cuckoo of Andrena bicolor

[Geoff F]

Thanks. The antennae, thorax and legs all match for N. fabriciana but what colour should the abdomen be? Andrena bicolor was in the area.

Originally, I discounted N. fabriciana because my first source of information 'Bees of Surrey' state a red abdomen while my specimen appears to be yellow. The abdomen is mostly in deep shadow which makes correct colour observation difficult although the small sunlight section seems to be bright yellow.

But I'm not sure which is correct here. Yellow appearing red in places or the other way around? And while searching for photos I have found examples with both red and yellow abdomens.

If only I had managed a face shot I may have been able to get the Nomada Keys to work.

So I think it is safest to say Unidentified Nomada, possibly N. fabriciana.

[Matt Smith]

Originally Posted by Geoff F

Originally, I discounted N. fabriciana because my first source of information 'Bees of Surrey' state a red abdomen while my specimen appears to be yellow. The abdomen is mostly in deep shadow which makes correct colour observation difficult although the small sunlight section seems to be bright yellow.

Nomada fabriciana - you photo is of bee with a dark red abdomen with a couple of yellow spots on tergites 2 and 3.

[Geoff F]

Ah yes! Thanks.

It is just one of those odd angles where the only clearly visible piece of abdomen is the 'wrong' colour. Obviously designed to confuse me; which isn't difficult!