| Osmia cornuta | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Megachilidae |
| Genus: | Osmia |
| Species: | O. cornuta |
| Binomial name | |
| Osmia cornuta (Latreille, 1805) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Osmia cornuta, the European orchard bee, is a species of bee in the genus Osmia .
10–15 mm. Males with conspicuously hairy faces. Females are unmistakable due to the black hair on the head and thorax, the rust-red hairy abdomen and the horned head shield. [2] [3]
Osmia cornuta is known in North Africa from Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt. In Eurasia from Portugal through southern and central Europe, Asia Minor and the Caucasus to Southeast Kazakhstan; northward to the North German Plain, Central Poland, Northern Ukraine and Voronezh; south to Sicily, Crete, Syria and Northern Iran. The evidence from Primorye is based on an error. The species was introduced to the United States for pollination purposes, but there are no reports of viable populations in the wild. In the ssp. divergens Friese, 1920 occurs from Iran to Central Asia; in the ssp. neoregaena Mavromoustakis, 1938 in the Aegean Islands and Cyprus; in the ssp. quasirufa Peters, 1978 from the Turkish Aegean coast to the Caucasus and north-west Iran as well as (isolated?) in Egypt. Recorded from all federal states in Germany and Austria with the exception of Schleswig-Holstein. In Germany more common in the south than in the north. Mainly in warmer locations below 500 m, very occasionally also higher (e.g. Freudenstadt in the Black Forest, 728 m). It is increasingly being brought into areas where the species did not naturally occur through the trade in cocoons. [3] In Switzerland there is no evidence from the main Alpine ridge and the north side of the Alps, in the Engadin it occurred only historically, otherwise almost everywhere recent records. [4] The first record of this bee in Great Britain occurred in 2017. [1]
Since the species needs an early, mild spring, it occurs predominantly in the settlement area, where the corresponding microclimate and the usually rich supply of early-blooming herbs and trees meet their needs. Probably the most characteristic synanthropic species in southwest Germany as it can be found even in the centers of large cities (e.g. Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Freiburg), where it swarms around the primroses and hyacinths offered for sale. In the settlement area, the species chooses almost exclusively large structures, especially house walls for nesting. Where the species occurs in warmer locations outside of built-up areas, it only colonizes sun-exposed loess and clay walls. This and the observation of the behavior when looking for a nesting site lead to the conclusion that the original nesting sites of this species were steep walls on river banks, where it nested in abandoned brood cells of Anthophora plumipes . [3] From the lowlands to the montane elevation. [4]
Adults are on wing in one generation from February / March to May / June. [4] The males of Osmia cornuta often appear as early as mid-March, usually when Scilla begins to bloom, i.e. before Osmia bicornis . The main nesting activity of the females, which are already active in the morning hours at temperatures of approx. 10 °C, is between mid-March and early May, and in warmer years between early March and mid-April. [3] Nesting activity from mid-April, with a maximum in average years at the end of April / beginning of May. Wintering takes place as an imago in a cocoon. [3]
Osmia cornuta is extremely polylectic. So far, the use of the pollen of the 14 plant families Aceraceae, Aquifoliaceae, Asparagaceae, Asteraceae, Berberidaceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Fagaceae, Uliaceae, Papaveraceae, Primulaceae, Ranunculaceae, Rosaceae and Salicaceae has been proven. [4] These pollen sources have been observed: [3] Ilex aquifolium, Scilla siberica, Muscari armeniacum, Taraxacum officinale, Epimedium pinnatum, Brassica napus, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Quercus spec., Tulipa gesneriana, Corydalis cava, Corydalis solida, Corydalis lutea, Primula elatior, Ranunculus acris, Ranunculus repens, Prunus spinosa, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus cerasus, Prunus cerasifera, Pyrus communis, Malus domestica, Crataegus monogyna, Salix caprea, Salix purpurea, Acer platanoides, Acer pseudoplatanus, Acer campestre .
If plants have a high flower density in the immediate vicinity of the nesting areas, the females usually behave in a constant manner. In the pollen loads and brood cells from southern Germany highest proportions were represented by Prunus, Salix and Acer, [3] in France Prunus predominated. [3] In Spain, Marquez et al. (1994) also found Prunus as the dominant pollen type in pollen loads, but the females in apple plantations mainly collected malus pollen when it was particularly easily accessible. Eckhardt et al. (2014) found mixtures of pollen from 2-6 plant families in the pollen loads. Osmia cornuta is used in some countries as a pollinator in almond and pome fruit plantations. [3]
Osmia cornuta lack the pollen baskets on their hind tibiae; they do not produce honey, but they do use the pollen and nectar to stock their nests when they are ready.
Osmia cornuta does not live in colonies in hives like bumble bees and honey bees. It nests in existing cavities of various shapes and sizes: cracks in walls, holes in plastering, drainage pipes and cracks in window frames, recesses in stones, old nests of fur bees ( Anthophora plumipes, Anthophora fulvitarsis ) and of Delta unguiculata. Also colonizes nesting aids (e.g. holes in wood, bamboo cane, preferred inner diameter 8–9 mm. Length 20–25 cm), provided these are attached directly to the house wall or other larger areas. The nests are mostly linear structures with up to 12 brood cells. In larger cavities, however, the brood cells are occasionally built together irregularly. Moist earth or loam collected at the edges of the water is preferably used as building material. When the ground is very dry on the surface, numerous females often gather in the same place, looking for cracks in the ground or digging holes several centimeters deep in the ground in order to get to moist building material. The mortar is mixed with saliva. [3] [4]
Osmia cornuta is host to several parasites. Cuckoo bees have not yet been observed. The wasps Chrysis ignita and Chrysura simplex , Leucospis dorsigera, Melittobia acasta, Monodontomerus aeneus and Monodontomerus obscurus , the flies Anthrax anthrax and Cacoxenus indagator , the beetle Sitaris muralis as well as the mite Chaetodactylus osmiae, were known as breeding parasites. [4]
From Latin, "cornuta" = "horned, two-pointed"; because of the two horn-like appendages on the female's clypeus. [4]
Subgenus Osmia PANZER, 1806 [4]
Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees. Characteristic traits of this family are the restriction of their pollen-carrying structure to the ventral surface of the abdomen, and their typically elongated labrum. Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells ; a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees, while others use plant resins in nest construction and are correspondingly called resin bees. All species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are kleptoparasites, feeding on pollen collected by other megachilid bees. Parasitic species do not possess scopae. The motion of Megachilidae in the reproductive structures of flowers is energetic and swimming-like; this agitation releases large amounts of pollen.
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.
Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is a megachilid bee that makes nests in natural holes and reeds, creating individual cells for its brood that are separated by mud dividers. Unlike carpenter bees, it cannot drill holes in wood. O. lignaria is a common species used for early spring fruit bloom in the United States and Canada, though a number of other Osmia species are cultured for use in pollination.
Osmia cornifrons, also known as the horned-face bee, is a species of solitary bee indigenous to Northern Asia. Physically, this species of bee is recognized for its horn-like extensions originating from its lower face. Populations of O. cornifrons have been recorded in multiple locations, including Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. O. cornifrons are more docile as compared to other species of bees and are less prone to sting when aggravated.
Osmia bicornis is a species of mason bee, and is known as the red mason bee due to its covering of dense gingery hair. It is a solitary bee that nests in holes or stems and is polylectic, meaning it forages pollen from various different flowering plants. These bees can be seen aggregating together and nests in preexisting hollows, choosing not to excavate their own. These bees are not aggressive; they will only sting if handled very roughly and are safe to be closely observed by children. Females only mate once, usually with closely related males. Further, females can determine the sex ratio of their offspring based on their body size, where larger females will invest more in diploid females eggs than small bees. These bees also have trichromatic colour vision and are important pollinators in agriculture.
The tawny mining bee, Andrena fulva, is a European species of the sand bee (Andrena) genus. The males are 10–12 mm (0.4–0.5 in) and the females 8–10 mm (0.3–0.4 in) long. The female is covered with fox-red hair on the dorsal surface of its thorax and abdomen and black hair on its head and ventral surface. The male is less distinctive, being clad in golden-brown or reddish-brown hairs, with some long white hairs on the face, and a tooth on each of the mandibles.
Andrena hattorfiana is a species of mining bees belonging to the family Andrenidae subfamily Andreninae.
The hairy-footed flower bee is a species of bee belonging to the family Apidae.
Osmia latreillei is a species of mason bee belonging to the family Megachilidae subfamily Megachilinae.
Coelioxys, common name leaf-cutting cuckoo bees or sharp-tailed bees , is a genus of solitary kleptoparasitic or brood parasitic bees, belonging to the family Megachilidae.
Lasioglossum cressonii is a species in the sweat bee genus Lasioglossum, family Halictidae. Halictidae exhibit eusocial hierarchy behavior which is interesting given that eusociality in this group is hard to evolve and easy to lose. L. cressonii is found throughout North America. L. cressonii have been shown to be important pollinators for apple trees and many other North American native plants.
Osmia uncinata, the pinewood mason bee, is a species of solitary bee from the family Megachilidae It is an Arctic-alpine species which is found in the northern Palearctic, in the United Kingdom it is a Biodiversity Action Plan priority species.
Osmia caerulescens, the blue mason bee, is a species of solitary bee from the family Megachilidae. It has a Holarctic distribution extending into the Indomalayan region, although its presence in the Nearctic may be due to human-assisted introduction.
Osmia inermis, the mountain mason bee , is a species of mason bee from the family Megachilidae which has a Holarctic distribution.
Monosapyga clavicornis is a hymenopteran from the family Sapygidae. The species is common and not endangered.
Osmia aurulenta is a Palearctic species of mason bee.
Anthophora bimaculata is a species of bees.
Tetraloniella dentata is a species of bees within the genus Tetraloniella.
Trachusa byssina is a species of bees within the genus Trachusa.
Osmia nigriventris, also known as the large black-bellied mason bee, is a species of solitary bee within the family Megachilidae.