Tag: osmia
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Bufflehead mason bee (Osmia bucephala)
Megachilidae > Osmia > Osmia bucephala Bufflehead mason bee (Osmia bucephala) is a hefty backyard Osmia of late spring. It is one of the largest Osmia in the region, often mistaken for a bumble bee worker. This distinctive box-headed black-and-white mason bee is a frequent resident of suburban yards and gardens, where beard-tongue (Penstemon) flowers…
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Horn-faced/Taurus mason bee (Osmia cornifrons/taurus)
Megachilidae > Osmia > Osmia cornifrons / Osmia taurus Horn-faced mason bee (Osmia cornifrons) and Taurus mason bee (Osmia taurus) are two similar nonnative Osmia. Both have spread rapidly throughout eastern North America in recent decades since their introduction as potential fruit tree pollinators in the 1980s. These species have proliferated in human-altered habitats, raising…
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Osmia
Osmia is a widespread genus of megachilids, mainly active in spring and early summer. Most are small to medium-sized, pill-shaped, and dark metallic green or blue. Nests occur both above and below ground, including in abandoned bee nests and beneath stones. Although some species are true masons and use mud to line their nests, others…