Osmia uncinata
species of insect
Osmia uncinata, the pinewood mason bee, is a species of solitary bee from the family Megachilidae It is an Arctic-alpine species which is found in the northern Palearctic, in the United Kingdom it is a Biodiversity Action Plan priority species.
Description
Osmia uncinata is a wasp like mason bee with a yellow and black striped thorax which is quite variable in its colour and the degree of hairiness shown. They measure between 7mm and 15mm in length.
Habitat
In Great Britain Osmia uncinata is closely associated with relicts of the ancient Caledonian Forest, being found in woodland clearings, along paths through woodland, and on adjacent roadside verges where the principal forage plant, birds-foot trefoil Lotus corniculatus, is well established.
Distribution
In the United Kingdom Osmia uncinata is confined to the northern Scotland. In Europe its distribution covers northern Europe and the mountains of central Europe east into Asiatic Russia.
Biology
In Scotland the flight period is from late April or May to early July. This species has a single-brood in any season. It chooses preexisting cavities: insect burrows in dead wood or bark, especially those of the longhorn beetle Rhagium inquisitor and has used drilled borings in wooden blocks; between the thick bark of pine trees. The cell partitions and nest plug are made of leaf mastic.
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This entry incorporates text from “Osmia uncinata” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.