[ID] Bee and wasp/Bee?

[Fauna]

Could i trouble you for an id on these two please. They where found on Heath...both where dropped by one of those Tachinids i had identified earlier.

1


2


Regards Chris...

[aeshna5]

2 is one of the Nomada cuckoo-bee species they parasitise different Andrena spp.

[Fauna]

Originally Posted by aeshna5

2 is one of the Nomada cuckoo-bee species they parasitise different Andrena spp.

Cheers aeshna...i had a feeling it was one of those.

I think the first photo is an Andrena of some type?

Regards Chris...

[Matt Smith]

1) Male Andrena clarkella

2) Almost certainly the parasite specific to A.clarkella, Nomada leucopthalma

[Fauna]

Originally Posted by Matt Smith

1) Male Andrena clarkella

2) Almost certainly the parasite specific to A.clarkella, Nomada leucopthalma

Cheers Matt...

I did not think i would get an id to species level to the Nomada. Looking through variuos threads on WAB and seeing how notoriously difficult they are from photos. But i suppose the time of year and its host being present (along with your trained eye of course) got you to species level...thanks

I did have a go at that test key (before i released the bee), i don't think it has N. leucopthalma. I kept on keying to N. ferruginata (probably keying it wrong), don't think that key is of much cop?

Regards Chris...

[Matt Smith]

Which key are you using?

My det of Nomada leucopthalma is a "best guess" as to what the species is, I went with N.leucopthalma because it is one of the first Nomada species on the wing and you found it in association with the host for that species.

N.ferruginata is another "spring" species and, in my key, is in the same couplet as N.leucopthalma, a look at the face and scutellar tubercles are needed to separate the two. It also appears to be the less common of the two species. As we don't have a voucher specimen a "best guess" is all I can offer, but that is the same for the majority of UK aculeate species if all we have is a photo.

[JRsbugs]

Chris.. You can find some details of N. leucopthalma on this German site. You will have to scroll down to 'Yellow jackets'

W= female (probably a translation of woman!)

Janet

[eucera]

In my experience of N. ferruginata (rather limited), the bee is predominantly red on the abdomen and has very obvious yellow pronotal tubercles. The pic looks much more leucophthalma-ish to me