Osmia spp.

Photo Credit: © peterdejong via iNaturalist.org. Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/.
Osmia spp.
Common Name: mason bee
Animal Guild: Insect
Class > Order > Family: Insecta > Hymenoptera > Megachilidae
Where is the species found?
States & Provinces
AB, AK, AL, AR, AZ, BC, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MB, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, MS, MT, NB, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, NL, NM, NS, NT, NU, NV, NY, OH, OK, ON, OR, PA, PE, QC, RI, SC, SD, SK, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY, YT
Which phenophases should I observe?
Do you see/hear...?
Activity Adults
One or more adults are seen or heard moving about or at rest.
More...

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Male adults
One or more adult males are seen moving about or at rest. For Osmia spp., males are often smaller than females and emerge earlier in spring, waiting near nests for females to emerge. They are short-lived and die after mating.

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Flower visitation
One or more individuals are seen visiting flowers or flying from flower to flower. If possible, record the name of the plant or describe it in the comments field.

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Reproduction Mating
A male and female are seen coupled in a mating position, usually with the male on top of the female.

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Nest building
One or more adults are seen building a nest or hive. For Osmia spp., solitary females construct nests in narrow holes, hollow stems, or other small cavities by entering to deposit pollen, backing in to lay eggs, and then plugging the cavity with mud, grit or chewed plant material.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Development Dead adults
One or more dead adults are seen.

For abundance, enter the number of individual animals observed in this phenophase.
Method Individuals in a trap
One or more individuals are seen caught in a trap.

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What do these phenophases look like?

There is currently no photoguide available for this species. If you'd like help us create one, use the guidance document and species template provided here. Then send it via email to education@usanpn.org when it is complete.

ITIS information for mason bee (ITIS TSN: 154377 )