Osmia rufa
Encyclopedia
Osmia rufa is a species of solitary bee, also known as the red mason bee due to its habit of using mud to build small cavities within its nest
.
The species is most active during the spring
and early summer
although it can be seen as far as late June. Despite being classed as solitary, these bees are gregarious. The female is larger/broader than the male and has 2 large horns on the head. The female has a much smaller sting than honeybees or wasp
s. The male has no sting. Osmia rufa nest in preexisting hollows, choosing not to excavate their own, and have been known to nest in key holes, empty snail shells, plant stems and empty beetle hollows. Male larva
e are placed in front of the females within the nest allowing the males to emerge first in the spring. These bees store mostly pollen
moistened with a small amount of nectar which is eaten by the larvae during the summer before they rest through the winter
in a cocoon. Red mason bees are excellent pollinators
.
These bees are not aggressive and will only sting if handled very roughly between the fingers and they are safe to be closely observed by children.
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
.
The species is most active during the spring
Spring (season)
Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition period between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and broadly to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and...
and early summer
Summer
Summer is the warmest of the four temperate seasons, between spring and autumn. At the summer solstice, the days are longest and the nights are shortest, with day-length decreasing as the season progresses after the solstice...
although it can be seen as far as late June. Despite being classed as solitary, these bees are gregarious. The female is larger/broader than the male and has 2 large horns on the head. The female has a much smaller sting than honeybees or wasp
Wasp
The term wasp is typically defined as any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. Almost every pest insect species has at least one wasp species that preys upon it or parasitizes it, making wasps critically important in natural control of their...
s. The male has no sting. Osmia rufa nest in preexisting hollows, choosing not to excavate their own, and have been known to nest in key holes, empty snail shells, plant stems and empty beetle hollows. Male larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are placed in front of the females within the nest allowing the males to emerge first in the spring. These bees store mostly pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
moistened with a small amount of nectar which is eaten by the larvae during the summer before they rest through the winter
Winter
Winter is the coldest season of the year in temperate climates, between autumn and spring. At the winter solstice, the days are shortest and the nights are longest, with days lengthening as the season progresses after the solstice.-Meteorology:...
in a cocoon. Red mason bees are excellent pollinators
Pollination
Pollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
.
These bees are not aggressive and will only sting if handled very roughly between the fingers and they are safe to be closely observed by children.