Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies (Megachilidae) » Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, Sharptail, Mason, and Woolcarder bees and relatives (Megachilinae) » Mason bees and relatives (Osmiini) » Mason Bees (Osmia) » Subgenus Osmia (Osmia Subgenus Osmia) » Taurus Mason Bee (Osmia taurus)

Species Osmia taurus - Taurus Mason Bee

Mason Bee (Osmia Taurus) - Osmia taurus - 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 taurus (Taurus Mason Bee)

Explanation of Names

Author: Smith, 1873.

Range

Native to East Asia. Mysteriously appeared in Maryland and nearby states soon after release of the extremely similar O. cornifrons, in the 1970s, by USDA scientists. Now widely distributed in the mid-Atlantic states, and likely to be found elsewhere due to wide movement of hibernating orchard bees. (Map)(1)

Food

The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.

Internet References

Discover Life

ResearchGate. Osmia taurus, O. cornifrons, and Anthidium manicatum in North Georgia: Three Introduced Bee Species Making Their Way Into the Deep South

Works Cited

1.	Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2017) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)

Contributed by Will Chatfield-Taylor on 23 April, 2007 - 7:22am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, John S. Ascher, v belov, hg
Last updated 7 March, 2018 - 12:23am

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