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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 Helicosmia (Osmia Subgenus Helicosmia) » Osmia caerulescens

Species Osmia caerulescens

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References

What kind of bee please? - Osmia caerulescens - male

Tiny Springtime Bee - Osmia caerulescens - female

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 Helicosmia)

Species caerulescens (Osmia caerulescens)

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Andrena cupraria

Andrena cyanea

Anthophora cyanea

Apis aenea

Apis cuprea

Apis muraria

Apis superbus

Megachile cyanea

Osmia coerulescens

Osmia cyanea

Osmia dutti

Osmia rustica

Osmia purpurea

Explanation of Names

Author of Species is (Linnaeus, 1758).

Size

Female: 10-11 mm, male 9 mm.

Identification

Osmia caerulescens is described at Discover Life.

Female dark blue, almost black. Male brassy green.

Range

Global Map.

Minnesota to Nova Scotia, south to Illinois and North Carolina.

Season

March to July.

Food

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

Life Cycle

Nests are constructed within existing cavities, including insect exit burrows in dead wood, crevices in masonry, and trap-nests

Remarks

Not native, introduced from the Old World

Internet References

BWARS

Discover Life

Contributed by Ted Kropiewnicki on 17 March, 2008 - 10:41pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, hg
Last updated 20 August, 2015 - 3:01pm

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