All Multimedia

From Southern Minnesota comes a very rare parasitic bee called Nomada graenicheri collected by Scott Leddy in his study of Prairie remnants. Few records exist for this species and nothing is known about its host. This specimen was from some of the bluff prairies in the driftless region. Nice to see and a new state record too. Photography by Ashleigh Jacobs.

The lovely Nomada imbricata, a bee that looks like a wasp, which, it turns out are all bees really are anyway...modified wasps. In this case this bee has no need to look like a bee since it does not carry pollen nor build its own nest, instead it invades the nests of the large Andrenid bees and lays its egos in their nest and Ms.

The lovely Nomada imbricata, a bee that looks like a wasp, which, it turns out are all bees really are anyway...modified wasps. In this case this bee has no need to look like a bee since it does not carry pollen nor build its own nest, instead it invades the nests of the large Andrenid bees and lays its eggs in their nest and Ms.

The lovely Nomada imbricata, a bee that looks like a wasp, which, it turns out are all bees really are anyway...modified wasps. In this case this bee has no need to look like a bee since it does not carry pollen nor build its own nest, instead it invades the nests of the large Andrenid bees and lays its eggs in their nest and Ms.

Here is a nest parasite. In this case the male.

Here is a nest parasite. In this case the male.

The only bidentate Nomada I feel comfortablish identifying. All the rest blend together morphologically and maybe molecularly. This is one of the largest and most common of the bidentates and has a unique set of tibial spurs (which is not saying much) and some general coloration patterns that are helpful. Collected in Charles County, Maryland USA.

The only bidentate Nomada I feel comfortablish identifying. All the rest blend together morphologically and maybe molecularly. This is one of the largest and most common of the bidentates and has a unique set of tibial spurs (which is not saying much) and some general coloration patterns that are helpful. Collected in Charles County, Maryland USA.

The only bidentate Nomada I feel comfortablish identifying. All the rest blend together morphologically and maybe molecularly. This is one of the largest and most common of the bidentates and has a unique set of tibial spurs (which is not saying much) and some general coloration patterns that are helpful. Collected in Charles County, Maryland USA.

Intersex. Gynandromorph. Part Male: Park Female. Here is a lovely example. In this case the intersex section is restricted to the head. This is a Nomada of the pygmaea group. pygmaea group indicates that this is probably a group of species, but....I can't tell them apart. Long story.

Intersex. Gynandromorph. Part Male: Park Female. Here is a lovely example. In this case the intersex section is restricted to the head. This is a Nomada of the pygmaea group. pygmaea group indicates that this is probably a group of species, but....I can't tell them apart. Long story.

Intersex. Gynandromorph. Part Male: Park Female. Here is a lovely example. In this case the intersex section is restricted to the head. This is a Nomada of the pygmaea group. pygmaea group indicates that this is probably a group of species, but....I can't tell them apart. Long story.

Rare Parasitic Bee (Nomada obliterata). Some bees are just rare. Or, at least rarely found. This specimen here is the first known specimen from Washington D.C. where it was discovered at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, along the long neglected Anacostia River. Neglected but not absent of biodiversity. What is the "obliterata" part of its name about?

Rare Parasitic Bee (Nomada obliterata). Some bees are just rare. Or, at least rarely found. This specimen here is the first known specimen from Washington D.C. where it was discovered at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, along the long neglected Anacostia River. Neglected but not absent of biodiversity. What is the "obliterata" part of its name about?

Rare Parasitic Bee (Nomada obliterata). Some bees are just rare. Or, at least rarely found. This specimen here is the first known specimen from Washington D.C. where it was discovered at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, along the long neglected Anacostia River. Neglected but not absent of biodiversity. What is the "obliterata" part of its name about?

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

One of the tiniest of all the Nomada..so small that it made no sense to try and Photoshop out the pin on which it was glued. We are production operation, rarely do we have the luxury of having specimens that we can prepare beforehand for picture taking. Thus you take what is given to you.

Dominican Republic, thanks to Julio Genaro for the identification

A late season Nomada, this is Nomada placida. It (like all Nomada) is a nest parasite of something. But what? Given its dates of occurrence it may be some of the late season Andrena. Nomada in the fall are always rare and of interest ....fyi. Collected on Warrior Mountain in Maryland.

Yet more uncommon Nomada from Southern Minnesota. This one, Nomada rubicunda, is one that I associate with sandy areas and is, I believe, and Agapostemon nest parasite...likely A. splendens, only a few records in Maryland, but can be relatively common in sandhill country.