Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Osmia cornifrons - Hornfaced Bee

Bee - Osmia cornifrons Japanese Hornfaced Bee - Osmia cornifrons - male hornfaced bee - Osmia cornifrons - female hornfaced bee - Osmia cornifrons - female hornfaced bee - Osmia cornifrons - female Osmia cornifrons ? - Osmia cornifrons - male Osmia cornifrons - male An odd little, cold-hardy bee - Osmia cornifrons
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 cornifrons (Hornfaced Bee)
Other Common Names
Hornfaced mason bee
Japanese hornfaced bee
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Osmia cornifrons (Radoszkowski)
Orig. Comb: Chalicodoma cornifrons Radoszkowski 1887
Range
Native to East Asia. Deliberately introduced to eastern North America by USDA scientists where now widely distributed.
Season
mostly: Mar-May (BG data)
Food
The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.
Remarks
They are used in Japan to pollinate apple trees and were deliberately introduced to the United States by USDA scientists in the 1970s for the same purpose, even though the very similar native species Osmia lignaria occurs here and can be managed in a similar way.
Osmia cornifrons is now widely established and numerous in the Eastern United States.
More information including creating Propagation blocks and Updated Recommendations for Growers with Osmia cornifrons.
This is not a native pollinator.
Print References
Matthew I. McKinney and Yong-Lak Park. 2012. Nesting Activity and Behavior of Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Elucidated Using Videography. Psyche, Article ID 814097, 7 pages.
Internet References
Psyche, a Journal of Entomology. Nesting Activity and Behavior of Osmia cornifrons (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Elucidated Using Videography