Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
Register
·
Log In
Home
Guide
ID Request
Recent
Frass
Forums
Donate
Help
Clickable Guide
Calendar
Upcoming Events
Registration
is open for the
2024 BugGuide gathering in Idaho
July 24-27
Moth submissions
from
National Moth Week 2023
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2022 BugGuide gathering in New Mexico
, July 20-24
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
Spring 2021 gathering in Louisiana
, April 28-May 2
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2019 gathering in Louisiana
, July 25-27
Photos of
insects
and
people
from the
2018 gathering in Virginia
, July 27-29
Previous events
Taxonomy
Browse
Info
Images
Links
Books
Data
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 Diceratosmia (Osmia Subgenus Diceratosmia)
Photo#1198535
Copyright © 2016
Iustin Cret
160228C02 -
Osmia
Corpus Christi, Nueces County, Texas, USA
February 28, 2016
Size: 6.4 mm
Images of this individual:
tag all
tag
·
login
or
register
to post comments
Contributed by
Iustin Cret
on 10 March, 2016 - 10:56pm
Last updated 11 March, 2016 - 5:04pm
Something seems strange here ... is this a male or a female?!
Two clearly visible characters in this image seem to give opposing conclusions on that question!
On the one hand, I see no indication of pollen collecting hairs (or "scopa") on the venter. Since female megachilids collect pollen on dense scopa covering the venter of their abdomens, that suggests this is a
male
.
On the other hand, examining the antennae (in the image above, and more clearly in the last two photos of the series), I count 12 segments, namely: a long initial scape, a short oviod pedicel, and 10 flagellomeres (the first flagellomere being somewhat elongate-conical). But 10 flagellomeres in (nearly all) bee taxa indicates a
female
.
So I'm puzzled! Did I make an error, or is something unusual going on here?
To cognoscenti, perhaps the structure of the visible terminal segments here makes an answer clear? Though I'm guessing the most diagnostic terminalia may be retracted in the photo.
…
Aaron Schusteff
, 12 January, 2017 - 3:29pm
login
or
register
to post comments
Moved
Moved from
Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees
.
…
John S. Ascher
, 11 March, 2016 - 5:04pm
login
or
register
to post comments
Comment viewing options
Flat list - collapsed
Flat list - expanded
Threaded list - collapsed
Threaded list - expanded
Date - newest first
Date - oldest first
10 comments per page
30 comments per page
50 comments per page
70 comments per page
90 comments per page
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.