Small Wasp, Northants I.D (1 Viewer)

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string boozel

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2017

• #1

Hi I found a small wasp (less than a cm long) in Northants today and while it was in close proximity to some Ashy Mining Bee burrows that may have been coincidental. Any help would be appreciated.

James.

 

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salticus

Well-known member

• Apr 19, 2017

• #2

It's one of the Nomada cuckoo bees - probably parasitic on the bees you mention
http://www.bwars.com/category/taxonomic-hierarchy/bee/apidae/nomada

 

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string boozel

Well-known member

• Apr 20, 2017

• #3

Thanks a lot, I thought that it was a parasitic wasp of some form. Having had a look at some possibilities it may be Nomada flava but that could be stretching it a bit.

James.

 

prhodes

Well-known member

• Apr 20, 2017

• #4

With reference to the Steven Falk, Richard Lewington, British Wildlife Field Guides - Bees book, Ashy Mining Bee hosts the cleptoparasitic bee Nomada lathburiana and possibly N. Gooodeniana. Just referring to the book without any expertise myself at all.

 

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string boozel

Well-known member

• Apr 21, 2017

• #5

Thanks for that, I knew that there were cuckoo bees that looked like bumbles but was totally unaware of these Nomada type bees before. It doesn't matter how long you study nature for, there's always something new to be discovered.

james.

 

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string boozel

Well-known member

• May 12, 2017

• #6

Having only just seen and indeed found out about my first Nomada bee I think that I may have found another two while out at Harringworth Lake in Northants yeaterday. While the original was likely lathburiana I think these may be flava and goodeniana but then again as a complete novice with these I may also be talking utter rubbish!

James.


James.

 

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prhodes

Well-known member

• May 15, 2017

• #7

Hi James, unfortunately I'm also a complete novice so can't help you with the Namada bee ID, other than recommending the Bee book mentioned above, Steven Falk's actual website and associated Flickr pages and the Leicestershire and Rutland NatureSpot website. We have a competent amateur entomologist near us that tells us that you can't ID the Nomada bees with confidence from photographs alone. However, this doesn't stop us trying and collecting pictures like yourself (although mine aren't as good as yours).

Regards, Phil

 

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string boozel

Well-known member

• May 16, 2017

• #8

Thanks for the recommendation Phil, I'll pick a copy of that book up. I think that I used the online resources you mention when I was attempting to put a name on these characters. I used to believe that separating Willow Warblers from Chiffchaffs was a challenge, they're a piece of cake by comparison.

James.