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Species Osmia lignaria - Blue Orchard Bee

Bee - Osmia lignaria - female Blurry Bee - Osmia lignaria - female Bee - Osmia lignaria - female Blue Orchard Bee - Osmia lignaria - male Blue Orchard Bee - Osmia lignaria - male Megachilidae ?? - Osmia lignaria - male Bee - Osmia lignaria - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)
Family Megachilidae (Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies)
Subfamily Megachilinae (Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, Sharptail, Mason, and Woolcarder bees and relatives)
Tribe Osmiini (Mason bees and relatives)
Genus Osmia (Mason Bees)
No Taxon (Subgenus Osmia)
Species lignaria (Blue Orchard Bee)
Other Common Names
Mason orchard bee.
Explanation of Names
Osmia lignaria Say 1837
Size
Female, 10-11 mm. Male, 9-10 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
mostly Mar-May (BG data)
Food
They visit flowers of cherry, pear and apple and also many others such as quince, laburnum spp and blueberry. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.
Life Cycle
O. lignaria are univoltine and winter in the adult stage. Adults are active in the spring, when they build and provision nests. The eggs complete development to fifth instars by early summer; then they spin cocoons and enter a dormant stage. Pupation occurs by late summer, and adult eclosion occurs a month later. Adults hibernate in their cocoons, and emerge in the spring.
Remarks
It is being managed and developed for use as fruit trees pollinator. Management of O. lignaria. Field use of an incubation box
The clerid Lecontella brunnea (Spinola) was reared from the nest of Osmia lignaria
Internet References
Wings in Flight. a commercial site with good information on bee housing.