Andrena suggest this chemical odor may provide camouflage to protect her from the host females because physically, these genera do not resemblance each other. There is evidence of “antennal grabbing” during copulation, in which the male Nomada strokes the female antenna. This process transfers pheromones from the male to the female and may make the female unattractive to other males, as well as provide chemical cues to the location of a host nest. The pheromone transfer may also disguise the scent of the female Nomada, allowing her to enter the host nest undetected. The pheromones are transferred when the males hold the female bees down with their feet, while they use their antennae to grab the females’ antennae. Other reports of Nomada mating includes males “swarming” willow and gooseberry plants. Life cycle Nomada bees are holometabolous and they follow the general process of: (1) egg (2) larvae (3) pupa (4) adult. In one egg cell, the female Nomada will deposit 1-2 eggs. These eggs hatch and the larvae use their mandibles to kill other eggs and larvae. These larvae feed on the stored provisions. The offspring pupate in the host cell and finally emerge as adults the following season along with the hosts. Species Species of the genus Nomada are highly variable in behavior and habitat specialization. Occurring worldwide, their active periods vary based on their hosts. There is evidence that most species of Nomada are species-specific to their hosts, and that males mimic the specific scents of the species they parasitize. However, not much research has been done to understand the specialization of Nomada, and it is known that some species are more generalist than others. See list of Nomada species for a complete list. References links Image Gallery Nomada at BugGuide Nomadinae Bee genera