| Osmia uncinata | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Megachilidae |
| Genus: | Osmia |
| Species: | O. uncinata |
| Binomial name | |
| Osmia uncinata Gerstäcker,1869 [2] | |
Osmia uncinata, the pinewood mason bee, [3] is a species of solitary bee from the family Megachilidae [2] 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. [4]
Osmia uncinata is a wasp like mason bee with a yellow and black striped thorax which is quite variable in its colour and the degree of hairiness shown. They measure between 7mm and 15mm in length. [5]
In Great Britain Osmia uncinata is closely associated with relicts of the ancient Caledonian Forest, being found in woodland clearings, along paths through woodland, and on adjacent roadside verges where the principal forage plant, birds-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus , is well established. [6]
In the United Kingdom Osmia uncinata is confined to the northern Scotland. [6] In Europe its distribution covers northern Europe and the mountains of central Europe east into Asiatic Russia. [7]
In Scotland the flight period is from late April or May to early July. [7] This species has a single-brood in any season. [6] It chooses preexisting cavities: insect burrows in dead wood or bark, especially those of the longhorn beetle Rhagium inquisitor and has used drilled borings in wooden blocks; between the thick bark of pine trees. The cell partitions and nest plug are made of leaf mastic. [7] The nesting sites require full exposure to the sun. The eggs are laid in these small cells, which the female then seals with a reserve of food. The larva develops to a pupa and an adult while sealed in the cocoon, where it overwinters. The adults emerge in the spring to mate and to set up their own nests. [5]
On the continent Osmia uncinata is polylectic and has been recorded as utilising pollen sources from plants belonging to 10 different families. [7] In Scotland, both males and females have been observed visiting Lotus corniculatus, broom Cytisus scoparius , bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and rowan Sorbus aucuparia , but these latter three may be nectar sources for the adults only [8] Meadows which border pine woods are possibly an important source of food by providing nectar to fuel the adults' flight and pollen to be provided for the larvae. [5]
The chrysidid wasp Chrysura hirsuta which is a known parasitoid of the closely related Osmia inermis , may also be a parasitoid of Osmia uncinata as the wasp has been found in woodland sites where O. uncinata also occurs while O. inermis is not found in woodland. [6]
In Scotland it is Listed as vulnerable, [6] the main threats to Osmia uncinata are the reduction of available habitat, the loss of the open areas within the forest and increased shading of the forage plants. Dead pine wood should be retained to provide nest sites, and the natural regeneration of the forest should be encouraged. As this species has a boreo-alpine distribution, the relict populations in Scotland are probably going to be negatively affected by anthropogenic climate change. Measures taken to conserve other species found in Caledonian forest should benefit this species. Attempts to encourage them to use artificial nests in Scotland were unsuccessful [4] but did find other rare species of arthropod such as Clubiona subsultans . [9] Osmia uncinata may be rare in Scotland due to a combination of the limited availability of the combination of old trees in sunny positions, beetle burrows (especially as Rhagium inquisitor is a scarce species in Scotland), and the availability of patches of bird's-foot trefoil. [5]
Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structure is restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen. 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.
Sawflies are the insects of the suborder Symphyta within the order Hymenoptera alongside ants, bees and wasps. The common name comes from the saw-like appearance of the ovipositor, which the females use to cut into the plants where they lay their eggs. The name is associated especially with the Tenthredinoidea, by far the largest superfamily in the suborder, with about 7,000 known species; in the entire suborder, there are 8,000 described species in more than 800 genera. Symphyta is paraphyletic, consisting of several basal groups within the order Hymenoptera, each one rooted inside the previous group, ending with the Apocrita which are not sawflies.
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 reeds and natural holes, 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 Canada and the United States, though a number of other Osmia species are cultured for use in pollination.
Bombylius major is a parasitic bee mimic fly. B. major is the most common type of fly within the Bombylius genus. The fly derives its name from its close resemblance to bumblebees and are often mistaken for them.
Osmia bicornis, synonym Osmia rufa, 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.
Osmia cornuta, the European orchard bee, is a species of bee in the genus Osmia found in southern and central Europe, north to Belgium, and the southern parts of the Netherlands. The first record of this bee in Great Britain occurred in 2017. They are of the solitary type; they do not live in colonies in hives like bumble bees and honey bees. They 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 bicolor, the two-coloured mason-bee, is a Palearctic species of bee in the genus Osmia. It is outstanding amongst other megachilid bees in that it nests in empty snail shells.
A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. The wasps do not constitute a clade, a complete natural group with a single ancestor, as their common ancestor is shared by bees and ants. Many wasps, those in the clade Aculeata, can sting their insect prey.
Andrena agilissima is a species of mining bee. They are present in most of Europe, the Near East and North Africa and can be found from April through July. Andrena agilissima is an oligolectic species, feeding only on the pollen of a few genera of Cruciferous vegetables.
Osmia avosetta is a species of mason bee. It is solitary by nature, and is notable for its distinctive use of flower petals to construct nests for its larvae.
Mutilla europaea, the large velvet ant, is a species of parasitoid wasps belonging to the family Mutillidae. It is a parasitoid on various species of bumblebees and is found in Europe, Asia and North Africa.
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.
Osmia xanthomelana, the large mason bee, is a species of mason bee in the genus Osmia. It has a wide distribution in the Palearctic but it is rare wherever it occurs and, for example, in Great Britain it has a highly restricted distribution, although in the past it was a little more widespread there.
Clubiona subsultans, the Caledonian sac spider, is a spider from the family Clubionidae with a Palearctic distribution.
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.
Chaetodactylus krombeini,, was described by Karl Krombein and E. W. Baker in the 1960s. The mites are about 0.5 mm across, with the females larger than the males. Pollen mites are a kleptoparasitic pest of Megachilid solitary bees, with Ch. krombeini found with Osmia lignaria of North America,. Pollen mites do not feed on bees, but rather their provisions, and are harmful because they consume the food resources and starve or stunt the developing larvae; there is evidence that pollen mites also directly harm the egg by puncturing it.
Chelostoma florisomne, the large scissor-bee, is a species of hymenopteran in the family Megachilidae.
Osmia calaminthae, commonly known as the blue calamintha bee, is a rare species of mason bee known only from two small areas in Florida, United States. It is considered Critically Imperiled by NatureServe. The common name for the bee is derived from its distinctly blue color and its favored host plant, Calamintha ashei.
