Cuckoo Bee, Gooden's Nomad Bee (Nomada goodeniana)

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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Dec 19, 2008

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bonitin Gent, Belgium(Zone 8a) Dec 20, 2008

Fantastic pics, wallaby!
I would have sworn that this was a wasp with such a waist!!
I wonder what specifics make it to be a bee?
I have a couple too I'm confused whether they are bees or wasps..

Post #5911019
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wallaby1 Lincoln, United Kingdom(Zone 8a) Dec 20, 2008

Thanks bonitin!

They are very good mimics, but if you look at some male Andrena bees from the back they have a very narrow waist, only just joined to the thorax.

I think it's more to do with the eyes and antennae which give the clues to whether they are wasps or bees, wasps eyes tend to be more elongated and 'waspy' in appearance. Now I'm wondering why they need to look like a wasp, as some other parasites such as flies 'attempt' to look like their host to avoid detection. It might be so that it doesn't fall prey to a wasp, but it could be (and I think more likely ) to fool the host bee into thinking it's more dangerous than it is so the host won't attack it. How's that for Watsonian deduction, lol.

I have many which I know I will be struggling to identify, some little black things about 5-7mm long, as well as many tiny bees late in the season which visited Geranium Rozanne. That, along with Geranium Ann Folkard, flowered until past our first frosts so provided them with food.

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bonitin Gent, Belgium(Zone 8a) Dec 20, 2008

"but it could be (and I think more likely ) to fool the host bee into thinking it's more dangerous than it is so the host won't attack it. How's that for Watsonian deduction, lol."

That sounds more plausible to me too, lol!

I also have quite some of these very tiny bees, still to get an ID! Many of them also on the Geraniums (I have too) you mention even late in the season.

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