Nomada integra Brullé,1832
Synonyms
Nomada germanica_homonym Fabricius, 1804, Nomada ferruginata var. cinctiventris Friese, 1921, Nomada integra nigra Schwarz, 1967
Description and notes
This Nomada is one of those with a gaster which is red-brown with yellow spots. It is not often found, but may be sought wherever its host Andrena humilis Imhoff is present. It has been the subject of a lot of name changes in recent years, the current name being now generally accepted as the correctly applied one.
Distribution
Moderately widely distributed in England from the south coast north to Yorkshire, but absent from large areas of Wales and East Anglia. It is also unrecorded from Scotland and Ireland, but there is an old record from the Channel Islands.
Overseas, widely distributed over most of Europe, North Africa and near-eastern Asia.
Status (in Britain only)
Listed as Notable A (now known as Nationally Scarce Na) in Falk (1991) (under the name N. pleurosticta, a misidentification).
Habitat
Most often associated with sandy soils, although also known from coastal head deposits where the soils are friable. The presence of nests of its host species is an essential factor.
Flight period
Univoltine; May to July.
Pollen collected
This is a cleptoparasitic species, so does not collect its own pollen.
Nesting biology
Well known as a cleptoparasite of Andrena humilis Imhoff. It has also been reported as being associated with A. polita Smith elsewhere in Europe.
Flowers visited
A range of mid-summer flowering plants have been recorded as nectar sources.
Parasites
No data available.
Year profile last updated
2012