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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees » Leaf-cutter bees, Mason Bees, and allies (Megachilidae) » Megachilinae » Osmiini » Mason Bees (Osmia) » Subgenus Osmia (Osmia Subgenus Osmia) » Blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria)

Species Osmia lignaria - Blue orchard bee

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References
Is this the male Orchard bee Osmia lignaria - Osmia lignaria Unknown Osmia sp. - Osmia lignaria - female Is this an Osmia lignaria. - Osmia lignaria Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Blue Orchard Bee - Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Osmia lignaria lignaria - Osmia lignaria - female
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees)
Family Megachilidae (Leaf-cutter bees, Mason Bees, and allies)
Subfamily Megachilinae
Tribe Osmiini
Genus Osmia (Mason Bees)
No Taxon (Subgenus Osmia)
Species lignaria (Blue orchard bee)
Other Common Names
Mason orchard bee.
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Osmia purpurascens
Explanation of Names
Author: Say 1837
Size
Female, 14 mm. Male, 11 mm.
Identification
Metallic blue, almost black.
Range
British Columbia to Quebec and the New England states, south to California, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Native to the western US.
Habitat
They occur in woodlands and forest edges.
Season
March to June.
Food
They visit flowers of cherry, pear and apple and also many others such as quince, laburnum spp and blueberry.
Life Cycle

Lecontella brunnea (Spinola) was reared from the nest of Osmia lignaria - blue orchard bee by Jack Neff.
Remarks
It is being managed and developed for use as fruit trees pollinator.
Internet References
Discover Life.
Wikipedia.
USDA.
Wings in Flight. a commercial site with good information on bee housing.
British Columbia, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands
Contributed by Will Chatfield-Taylor on 18 April, 2007 - 7:56pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn
Last updated 3 January, 2010 - 3:14pm

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