Nomada striata Fabricius,1793
Synonyms
Apis hillana Kirby, 1802, Apis ochrostoma_homonym Kirby, 1802, Nomada vidua Smith, 1844, Nomada punctiscuta Thomson, 1870, Nomada simillima Pérez, 1913, Nomada dzieduszyckii Noskiewicz, 1924
Description and notes
A rather small, predominantly red Nomada with yellow spots on the gastral tergites.
Distribution
Widely but very locally distributed throughout much of Britain as far north as Elgin. Also recorded from Ireland in O’Connor et al. (2009). The only Channel Island record is from Sark (Beavis, 2000). Not a common bee but very occasionally quite numerous where found.
In mainland Europe, the range of this species extends from Fennoscandia to Turkey. It has also been collected in Morocco.
Status (in Britain only)
This species is not regarded as scarce or threatened.
Habitat
Flower-rich grasslands (particularly chalk downs) supporting populations of Andrena wilkella (Kirby). It has also been reported from woodland on clay soils, the coast and a private garden.
Flight period
Univoltine; mid May to mid July, exceptionally August (perhaps as a partial second brood).
Pollen collected
As a cleptoparasite, this bee does not collect pollen.
Nesting biology
A cleptoparasite of Andrena wilkella (Perkins, 1919, 1924; Stöckhert, 1933; Spooner, 1946). It may also attack A. fucata Smith (Stöckhert, 1933).
Flowers visited
Bulbous buttercup, white bryony, bell heather, raspberry, wood avens, bird’s-foot trefoil, wood spurge, bogbean, germander speedwell, ragwort and dandelion.
Parasites
No data available.
Year profile last updated
2012