Panzer's Nomad Bee vs Pacific Cuckoo Wasp

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Panzer's Nomad Bee Pacific Cuckoo Wasp
Scientific Name Nomada panzeri Chrysis pellucidula
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Andrenidae Chrysididae
Size 8-10 mm 6-10 mm
Habitat Woodlands Heathland
Diet Predators Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe Western North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Panzer's Nomad Bee

A wasp-mimicking cleptoparasitic bee that targets Andrena mining bee nests. Its bright red, yellow, and black coloring warns predators of its sting.

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Did You Know?

It has lost all pollen-collecting structures because its larvae are fed entirely by stolen provisions from mining bee nests.

Pacific Cuckoo Wasp

A brightly metallic cuckoo wasp with green-blue head and thorax and a coppery red abdomen. It parasitizes solitary mason bees and wasps in the western US.

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Did You Know?

It times its nest infiltration perfectly, sneaking in while the host wasp is away collecting provisions.