Mason bee is a name now commonly used for species of bees in the genus Osmia, of the family Megachilidae. Mason bees are named for their habit of using mud or other "masonry" products in constructing their nests, which are made in naturally occurring gaps such as between cracks in stones or other small dark cavities. When available, some species preferentially use hollow stems or holes in wood made by wood-boring insects.
The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees; it also includes the called resin bees and mortar bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or petals into fragments to build their nests, certain species within Megachile neatly cut pieces of leaves or petals, hence their common name. This is one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. The alfalfa leafcutter bee is managed on a commercial scale for crop pollination, and has been introduced by humans to various regions around the world.
Heriades is a genus of bees in the family Megachilidae. Fairly small and usually black, they are found all over the world. There are more than 130 species worldwide, roughly 25 species in North and Central America, but only 3 species are native east of the Rocky Mountains. European species such as H. truncorum can be found on the east coast of the US. Like other bees in the tribe Osmiini, Hoplitis and Ashmeadiella, they nest in cavities in wood excavated by other insects, or perhaps occasionally pine cones. They separate the cells of their nest with resin .
Hoplitis anthocopoides is a species in the family Megachilidae, in the order Hymenoptera . The distribution range of Hoplitis anthocopoides includes Africa, Europe, Northern Asia, and North America.
Osmia glauca is a species in the genus Osmia, in the family Megachilidae . It is found in North America.
Triepeolus is a genus of cuckoo bees in the family Apidae. There are at least 140 described species in Triepeolus. The majority of species whose life history is known are kleptoparasitic in the nests of bees in the tribe Eucerini, especially the genera Melissodes and Svastra.
Bombus vandykei, the Van Dyke's bumblebee, is a species of bumble bees in the family Apidae. It is found in North America.
Stelis perpulchra is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae. It is found in Central America and North America.
Anthidiini is a tribe of insects in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 40 genera and 840 described species in Anthidiini. There is strong evidence that the tribe is monophyletic.
Lithurgopsis is a genus of northern cactus woodborers in the family Megachilidae. There are at least nine described species in Lithurgopsis.
Habropoda pallida, known generally as the pallid habropoda or white-faced bee, is a species of anthophorine bee in the family Apidae. It is found in Central America and North America. Females build nests and are particularly likely to provision the young with pollen from Larrea tridentata plants.
Sapyga louisi is a species of a club-horned wasp in the family – Sapygidae. Adults feed from flowers and the larvae are kleptoparasites of leaf cutter bee larvae, including those of Heriades carinata.
Dianthidium simile is a species of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. It is found in North America.
Dianthidium is a genus of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 20 described species in Dianthidium.
Stelis interrupta is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae. It is found in North America.
Stelis is a genus of kleptoparasitic cuckoo bees in the family Megachilidae. There are at least 100 described species in Stelis.
Osmia foxi is a species of mason bees in the family Megachilidae. It is found in New Mexico and southeastern Arizona in the United States and in Sonora, Mexico.
Osmiini is a tribe of leafcutter, mason, and resin bees in the family Megachilidae. There are about 19 genera and at least 1,000 described species in Osmiini.
Coelioxys banksi is a species of leafcutter bees in the family Megachilidae. It is a parasite of Megachile relativa nests.
Lithurginae is a subfamily of woodborer bees in the family Megachilidae.
