Osmia Mason Bee
Osmia
Megachilidae
Osmia
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Description
Osmia are bees with a metallic sheen, often blue, purple, green, or black. Female bees carry pollen in abdominal scopa (see above, left). Osmia tend to have compact bodies, and have an arolium pad between their front leg tarsal claws, unlike Megachile. Their forewings have 2 submarginal cells, a big stigma and a long prestigma.
Nectar/
Pollen Plants
Osmia are generalists, and include pollen collection from oaks, Rosaceae plants (such as berries, apples) and many others. Some are important agricultural pollinators, visiting many flowers per trip. Osmia ribifloris biedermannii
Habits
Solitary, they nest in hollowed out stems, tubes, wall crevices. Use mud in nest-building to create partitions, hence “mason.” Eggs that become female bees are laid deeper in the tube, and hatch last.
Season
Primarily April - June, but Osmia ribifloris biedermannii appears from January.
