Nomada Flava
by davidstorm
I've made another contraption for macro work - this one holds twin flashguns firing from different directions and with diffusers fitted. This enables me to get f22 to f16 at between iso100 and iso 200, ideal for macro work.
This little parasitic Bee lives in holes in the ground in our garden. Charlotte has identified it as 'Nomada Flava' - thank you Charlotte!
K-5IIs, Sigma 105mm DG EX Macro, Full Set of Tubes, Twin Diffused Flash, Handheld
This little parasitic Bee lives in holes in the ground in our garden. Charlotte has identified it as 'Nomada Flava' - thank you Charlotte!
K-5IIs, Sigma 105mm DG EX Macro, Full Set of Tubes, Twin Diffused Flash, Handheld
Uploaded19/05/2013 - 20:17
CategoryMacro
Views/Likes51/0
Posted 19/05/2013 - 21:02
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Thank you Charlotte, very interesting. It is parasitic then? How much harm does it do to bees?
Regards
David
Regards
David
Posted 19/05/2013 - 21:13
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Yep they're parasitic. The female lays it's eggs in empty cells of a mining bee's nest, she'll keep going back and laying eggs as the mining bees make more cells.
The first instar (stage) of the Cuckoo bee have large mandibles which it uses to kill off the host bee's larvae and eggs so that it can have all the food brought back for the larvae.
There are hundreds of different types of Nomada and they are apparently declining in numbers, which is quiet confusing because the host bees numbers seem to be remaining stable at the moment.
The first instar (stage) of the Cuckoo bee have large mandibles which it uses to kill off the host bee's larvae and eggs so that it can have all the food brought back for the larvae.
There are hundreds of different types of Nomada and they are apparently declining in numbers, which is quiet confusing because the host bees numbers seem to be remaining stable at the moment.
Posted 19/05/2013 - 22:51
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Thanks again Charlotte, they seem to be quite numerous in my garden. We have a line of large stones in the back garden which used to be one side of a lock on the Chesterfield Canal. In the gaps between the stones, Bees make nests and I would think this is why the Cuckoo Bees frequent this area.
Regards
David
Regards
David
Posted 19/05/2013 - 23:55
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Fantastic close up David and interesting nature lesson.
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