Family Apidae > Genus Neolarra
Neolarra
Fairy Cuckoo Bees
In Minnesota, there is one described species, Neolarra vigilans, within the genus Neolarra. This cleptoparasitic (cuckoo) bee is extremely tiny and ranges in length from 3 to 3.5 mm (0.11 to 0.13 inches). Medium-beige to gray in color, it is covered in thick white hairs, and has red legs and antennae. While perching on the ground or foliage, or while visiting flowers, females hold their wings overlapped over their abdomen. Neolarra vigilans has unusual wings with a very small marginal cell and the outer half of the wing lacking venation.
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This cuckoo bee is present in sandy habitats where its hosts, Perdita (fairy bees) are found. Neolarra vigilans has been observed visiting Dalea villosa (silky prairie clover) and Heterotheca villosa (goldenaster).
A Neolarra vigilans female perches on a grass blade while monitoring a Perdita nest.
WING POSITION
ON FLOWERS
1
NO. SPECIES
IN MN
size range
Phenology
Genus/Species Characteristics
female
Wings lack venation on outer half. Forewing marginal cell extremely small.
Thick white or gray scale-like hairs covering a black integument.
female
Long glossa (tongue). Female lacks pollen-collecting hairs on hind legs.
female
Trochanter, femur, and antenna rusty-red.
NatureServe State Conservation Status
Distribution
Regional Map
Neolarra vigilans (Cockerell, 1895) in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-20.
Plant
Associations
Heterotheca villosa
(goldenaster)
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Dalea villosa
(silky prairie clover)
Dalea villosa
Habitat
Neolarra vigilans likely occurs in open, sunny, sandy sites that provide flowering host plants such as Dalea villosa (silky prairie clover) and nesting habitat for their host(s), Perdita (fairy bees).
Behavior
While monitoring their host's nests, Neolarra females perch on low vegetation or cling to plant stems near Perdita ground nests. They tuck their forelegs underneath them and lie flat against the plant substrate as they watch the nest activity below.
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Citations and Further Reading
Droege, S., Shumar, S., & Maffei, C. (2024). The Very Handy Bee Manual (2.0). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.12812755
Michener, C. D. (1939). A revision of the genus Neolarra (Hymenoptera: Nomadidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society (1890-), 65(4), 347-362.
Mitchell, T. B. (1960). Bees of the eastern United States. Technical Bulletin No. 141. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.
Portman, Z. M., Gardner, J., Lane, I. G., Gerjets, N., Petersen, J. D., Ascher, J. S., ... & Cariveau, D. P. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota. Zootaxa, 5304(1), 1-95.
Wilson, J. S., & Messinger Carril, O. J. (2016). The bees in your backyard: a guide to North America's bees. Princeton University Press.
Page Photography Credits
Heather Holm
Steve Mlodinow CC BY-NC 4.0 (Brachymelecta)
Michelle Orcutt CC-BY-NC 4.0​ (Epimelissodes female)