Which Nomada flying now?

[JRsbugs]

Thanks Stuart, but it would depend on what could be seen on 24th July to a good extent.

What are the possibilities of either being around at that time, and looking fresh?

[JRsbugs]

For reference, a list of Nomada in Britain.

Nomada argentata
Nomada armata
Nomada baccata
Nomada conjungens
Nomada errans
Nomada fabriciana
Nomada ferruginata
Nomada flava
Nomada flavoguttata
Nomada flavopicta
Nomada fucata
Nomada fulvicornis
Nomada goodeniana
Nomada guttulata
Nomada hirtipes
Nomada integra
Nomada lathburiana
Nomada leucophthalma
Nomada marshamella
Nomada obtusifrons
Nomada panzeri
Nomada roberjeotiana
Nomada ruficornis
Nomada rufipes
Nomada sexfasciata
Nomada sheppardana
Nomada signata
Nomada striata

A list of Nomada bees on bioimages, and their hosts.

Nomada (nomad bees)

A Slovenian site which has a list of solitary bees, with info of flight times etc. OK, not Britain, but it's the closest I have. If the info isn't available for a Nomada species, the host can be found on bioimages and perhaps the flight times on the Slovenia site of the host which should coincide to a degree with the Nomada flight times.

Bee fauna of Slovenia

It would appear that N. flava, signata and guttulata are early fliers.

There are species on the list which are not included in the key. There has to be one which fits mine!

[JRsbugs]

I've come across Nomada fuscicornis on bioimages. It's not on the list on BWARS.

N. fuscicornis is associated with Panurgus calcaratus which flies from July to September. It is a species we have, but as usual it is showing on the map as more south than I am, but to me that means not a lot considering the not-in-Lincolnshire species I am finding. There is a matter of not having recorders in many places.

I searched for images of N. fuscicornis, not a lot of luck except a Nomada sp. on Wiki came up which looks remarkably like mine, so maybe there was a name attached to the pic which hasn't been placed there. I doubt that though, the same pic came up with a search for Nomada errans, they are listed on the wiki page.

Nomada errans shows one record on the south coast, so I guess that is out even though I can't find a pic of it, but I have already discounted this one above.

On Rutkies N. fuscicornis looks nothing like mine.

Nomada similis is associated with Panurgus banksianus flying from June to August. P. banksianus is recorded around my area.

Now to find Nomada similis, which is not listed on BWARS but N. errans is listed on BWARS, and not on bioimages. Nomada similis is listed in the BWARS list here

Out of the whole list, the only one looking possible for the flight time, and for the host to be present, is Nomada similis. But does it fit in details!

There is a pic of Nomada similis male on this photostream which are verified specimens. I can see yellow mandibles, not sure about the labrum even with enlarging the pic. The rest 'could' match mine.

So, I've done the homework, and if this matches in detail, and unless there happens to be another species flying well out of it's normal time, this is, as far as I can see, the only candidate.

See how much fun this is, it's past 4am and I should be going to bed.

[eucera]

Nomada similis and N. fuscicornis are Panurgus parasites and unrecorded on the UK mainland. Both are on the Channel Islands (hence the inclusion on the BWARS list. N. errans is certainly British.... or at least WAS. None seen since 1982 (Durlston Head - its only known UK station).

N. errans looks like a small N. rufipes (the bi-coloured form), but the paler colours are ivory rather than the clear yellow of N. rufipes.

The 3 species you list as early fliers are on the wing in late April and May. N. guttulata is really quite small and associated with Andrena labiata (about the same size as N. striata).

I did forget to mention the summer flying N. roberjeotiana (on A. tarsata). This is very rarely seen nowadays (neither George nor I have clapped eyes on it.

The basic message though is that it is exceptionally difficult to identify Nomada from pics - especially the males. If they are determinable, then it is a bonus rather than the default position. The critical bits we need to look at are things like coxal spurs, mandibular apices, comb-spines, bristle colour on the labrum and the outer margin of the tibiae. I really don't think we can possibly arrive at a definitive answer to your questions. However, this thread has been a great opportunity for a major Nomada-go-round!

[JRsbugs]

Thanks for the extra information Stuart.

I have put this thread in my favourites for easy reference!

I've been through nearly all this year's folders twice (that's a lot as I often do one a day). I knew somewhere I had the tail end of what I had thought to be a bee rather than a wasp. It has red on the abdomen, I hadn't put a name to it so missed it first time round.

The Nomada here was small, I'm surprised I didn't put a size on it which is what I usually do but I must have been busy, as usual. I think it was around 7.5-8mm so it was small, or they were. Those Hebe flowers are quite small.

I'll see if I can get any closer crops of the parts you mentioned, I don't think I can but worth a try.

Here's the tail end of the possible bee which would be a male.. taken on 17th April this year.

I have another blurry shot of a possible Spechodes with a red abdomen, leaving a hole in the bricks on the house after checking it out, on 25th May.

[JRsbugs]

I've cropped all the pics down more, some will still enlarge more with a second click.

Nomada 1 (7 pics)





Nomada 2 (2 pics)