Nomada Bees

There are nearly 30 species of Nomada bees in the UK. Also known as cuckoo bees, they are cleptoparasites of various Andrena bee species, in that they "steal" their nests. They can be observed investigating potential nest sites where they enter the Andrena nest burrows and lay their own eggs in the brood chambers. When the Nomada larvae hatch, they kill the egg or larvae of the host bee and then consume the pollen stocks.