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Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the blue orchard bee, is a species of mason bee native to North America. It’s notable for its specialized nesting behavior within wood cavities and its critical role in pollinating fruit trees like apples and pears during early bloom periods. This solitary bee is pa...
The blue orchard mason bee, scientifically known as Osmia lignaria, is a solitary bee species native to North America. It is recognized by its dark metallic blue or black coloring and its habit of building nests in existing cavities, such as hollow plant stems or holes in wood. The bee is a highly e...
Osmia cornifrons, commonly known as the hornfaced bee, is a species of mason bee found primarily in Japan. It’s notable for its effectiveness as a pollinator, particularly within orchard environments like apple farms. Introduced to the United States in the 1970s, this solitary bee is valuable for ag...
The spined mason bee (Osmia spinulosa) is a solitary bee of the family Megachilidae native to Europe, associated with dry grasslands and open habitats. Females are distinctive among bees for nesting inside empty snail shells, provisioning each brood cell with pollen and nectar before sealing it with...
Osmia calaminthae, commonly known as the blue calamintha bee, is a species of mason bee described as new to science in 2011. It is endemic to the Lake Wales Ridge region of Florida, where it forages on the flowers of Ashe's calamint (Calamintha ashei), a threatened plant in the mint family. The bee...
Osmia cornuta, commonly known as the horned hornet bee, is a species of solitary mason bee found across Europe. This bee’s distinctive horn-like projection on its head aids in nest construction within pre-existing cavities like wood or clay. Its early emergence makes it valuable for pollinating orch...
Osmia ribifloris, commonly known as the blueberry bee, is a solitary mason bee native to North America. This insect is specifically utilized in commercial agriculture for its ability to pollinate blueberry crops efficiently. Unlike social honey bees, these solitary bees do not form hives but instead...
Osmia cornifrons, the Japanese hornfaced bee, is an Asian species introduced to the United States in the 1970s to pollinate apple and cherry orchards more effectively.
Osmia bicornis, commonly called the red mason bee, is an extant species native to Europe. It’s a solitary bee known for its efficient pollination of fruit orchards, particularly apples and pears. The bee constructs nests within pre-existing cavities like hollow stems or artificial nesting blocks. Th...
Osmia avosetta, also known as the Violet Mason Bee, is a solitary bee species originating in Asia. It’s notable for building nests composed solely of meticulously arranged flower petals, primarily from violets and other blossoms. This unique nesting behavior provides protection for its larvae. The b...
Osmia xanthomelana is a European mason bee described by Kirby in 1802, notable for building exposed nest cells from chewed leaves and mineral particles.
Osmia californica is a solitary mason bee native to western North America, notable for its strict preference for collecting pollen exclusively from plants in the Asteraceae family.
Osmia uncinata is a Eurasian mason bee described by Gerstäcker in 1869, associated in Britain with old Caledonian pinewoods and woodland clearings.
Osmia aglaia is a North American mason bee species found primarily along the western coast, notably recognized as a highly effective pollinator for commercial blackberries.
Osmia ribifloris is a solitary mason bee native to western North America. It nests in existing cavities rather than living in large social colonies, and females construct and provision their own brood cells. The species commonly gathers pollen from manzanita and other shrubs in the heath family, and...
Osmia bicolor is a distinctive European mason bee famous for its unique behavior of nesting inside empty snail shells, which the female often carefully camouflages with grass.
Osmia maritima is a solitary mason bee described by Friese in 1885, notable for its northern coastal distribution across parts of the Holarctic.
Osmia caerulescens, commonly known as the blue mason bee, is a solitary insect species belonging to the Megachilidae family. It is widely distributed across Europe and North America, thriving in temperate environments ranging from urban gardens to woodland edges. The species is easily distinguished...
Osmia leaiana is a solitary mason bee native to Europe, recognized for its crucial role as a pollinator and its habit of nesting in pre-existing cavities using chewed leaves.
Osmia chalybea, the gold-fringed mason bee, is an Old World solitary pollinator distinguishable by the golden fringes of hair on its abdomen and its preference for nesting in wood.
Osmia inermis is a solitary mason bee described by Zetterstedt in 1838, ranging across northern Eurasia and nesting beneath stones in cool habitats.
Osmia aurulenta is a European species of mason bee that is highly notable for its unusual nesting behavior of constructing its brood cells inside empty terrestrial snail shells.
Osmia niveata is a solitary mason bee native to Europe, first described by Fabricius in 1804, and is recognized by its pale, white-haired thorax and pollinating capabilities.
Osmia coloradensis is a solitary mason bee native to western North America, notable for its adaptation to high-altitude alpine environments and foraging on late-summer wildflowers.
Osmia bucephala, the large-headed mason bee, is a European species recognized for its distinctive broad head and its preference for nesting in aerial cavities and dead wood.
Osmia chalybea is a solitary mason bee species found across North America, distinguishable by its dark metallic blue body and its important role in pollinating spring flora.
Osmia marginata is a European mason bee species notable for its preference for sandy habitats, where females excavate nesting burrows in loose soil rather than using cavities.
Osmia atriventris, known as the dark mason bee, is a North American insect notable for its spring emergence and its effectiveness as a pollinator of commercial blueberry crops.
Osmia integra is a solitary mason bee indigenous to North America, notable for its late spring emergence and its critical role in pollinating native woodland plant species.
Osmia nigrifrons is a species of solitary mason bee found throughout North America, identified by its dark facial features and its efficiency as a pollinator of fruit crops.
