Scientific name: Osmia    Common Name: Mason bee

About:

The Mason bee is a solitary bee which cares for themselves and their eggs. Due to this , this species of bee has become what is considered super pollinators and can work to the equivalence of 10 honey bees. They are often matched with honey bees in order for areas to to become as pollinated as possible.  These bees are also quite passive and do not often sting people , however if they do due to the lack of a barbed stinger it does not cause much pain.

Key Information:

Size:  6 to 11mm

Habitat: Grasslands , Flowered areas, however their nests are far away from where they pollinate

When to see: March to August 

Family: Megachilidae

Order: Hymenoptera

Biological rank: Genus

Fun Fact: This species does not create its own nest and will often search for abandoned nests of carpenter bees or other insects in order to lay their eggs.

How to Identify:

The Mason bee is very difficult to identify by appearance due to the wide range of different ways it can appear. This bee is found solitary and can be distinguished by bees it is often mixed with by its small mid section and how the abdomen and thorax meet this point. It will be faster than most other bees. Finally a physical difference is that the stripes on this bee's abdomen is a metallic or shiny stripe opposed to the black or coloured stripe found on most other bees.