Nomada crotchii

Nomada crotchii is a species of cuckoo bee belonging to the family Apidae, order Hymenoptera. It is a cleptoparasitic bee native to North America.

Description

Nomada crotchii is typically a relatively small bee, characterized by its reddish-brown and yellow or cream-colored markings, which are common among species in the genus Nomada. As a cuckoo bee, females of Nomada crotchii lack the specialized pollen-collecting structures (scopae) found on pollen-collecting bees, as they do not provision their own nests. Their physical characteristics are adapted for locating and infiltrating the nests of host bees.

Distribution

This species is primarily distributed across eastern North America, inhabiting regions where its host bee populations are established.

Ecology

Nomada crotchii is a cleptoparasite, a type of social parasite that lays its eggs in the nests of other bee species. The larvae of Nomada crotchii develop by consuming the pollen and nectar provisions intended for the host's offspring, typically leading to the starvation or death of the host larva. The primary documented host species for Nomada crotchii is the mining bee Andrena perplexa. Female Nomada crotchii bees locate the subterranean nests of their host and deposit their eggs within the provisioned cells.

Etymology

The specific epithet "crotchii" commemorates George Robert Crotch (1842–1874), a prominent British entomologist known for his work on Coleoptera.