Nomada sp. Cuckoo Bee. These small (1cm) solitary bees do not gather resources for their young. Instead they seek out nests of other solitary bee species (mostly Andrena) and leave their eggs in place of the host's. Called kletoparasitism, or the cuckoo behavior, these eggs develop on the pollen provisions left by their unknowing host. I was very surprised by the pincer-like mandibles on this Nomada sp. Cuckoo Bee. Far sharper than the more jaw shaped mandibles of other species, and for good reason, they are used (in the larval phase) to crush the eggs of its host.

Photographed in Markham, Ontario. May 2021.