description Nomada fabriciana Overview
Nomada fabriciana is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Apidae. Females are cleptoparasites: instead of provisioning and raising their own brood in a completed nest, they enter the nest of a host bee, place an egg there, and leave the developing larva to use resources collected by the host. The species belongs to Nomada, a genus whose members commonly exploit solitary bees, especially mining bees in the genus Andrena. Its name honors the entomologist Johan Christian Fabricius.
help Nomada fabriciana FAQ
What is Nomada fabriciana?
It is a small cuckoo bee in the family Apidae, part of the genus Nomada, often called nomad bees. Adults look wasp-like with yellow, black, and red markings and lack the pollen-collecting brushes of ordinary bees.
Which bees does Nomada fabriciana parasitize?
Its hosts are mining bees of the genus Andrena. The female slips into a host's nest and lays an egg, leaving her larva to consume the pollen stores gathered for the host's own offspring.
When can you see Nomada fabriciana flying?
It flies mainly in spring and early summer, matching the nesting season of its Andrena hosts. Watch for females flying low over bare soil where mining bee nest aggregations occur.
Do cuckoo bees like Nomada fabriciana make honey or live in colonies?
No — despite belonging to the same family as the honey bee (Apidae), it is solitary and cleptoparasitic. Each female raids host nests rather than building and provisioning a nest of her own.
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