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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

Is this the male Orchard bee Osmia lignaria - Osmia lignaria Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Orchard Bee - Osmia lignaria - male Megachilidae 01b - Osmia lignaria - female Blue Orchard Bee - Osmia lignaria propinqua - Osmia lignaria - female Osmia lignaria lignaria - 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
Range
British Columbia to Quebec and the New England states, south to California, Oklahoma and Georgia.
Native to the western US.
Season
March to June.
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.
Contributed by Will Chatfield-Taylor on 18 April, 2007 - 7:56pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn
Last updated 19 August, 2009 - 5:59am

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