David Element

Wildlife Photography

and Digital Video Images

__ Hymenoptera 6 - Mason Bees (Osmia Species)

                     TWO-COLOURED MASON BEE Osmia bicolor (f)

                 GOLD-FRINGED MASON BEE Osmia aurulenta (m, f)

                                  RED MASON BEE Osmia rufa (m)

• Of these British mason bees only the ground-nesting Osmia rufa is common in the UK. Osmia aurulenta and O. bicolor nest in vacant snail shells (the nest is underneath the bee in the first photograph). The shells are covered with small twigs or leaves in order to camouflage them from predators.

• The biology of these bees and many other species has been described in detail in David Baldock's 'Bees of Surrey', a book which will be of value to hymenopterists throughout the UK and possibly in northern Europe. This book was published in the Autumn of 2008 and there are distribution maps for Surrey (VC17) and also numerous colour photographs.

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-> Hymenoptera 6

-> Hymenoptera 7

-> Hymenoptera 8

-> Hymenoptera 9

-> Hymenoptera 10

-> Hymenoptera 11

-> Hymenoptera 12

-> Hymenoptera 13

-> Hymenoptera 14

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-> Hymenoptera 16

-> Hymenoptera 17

-> Hymenoptera 18

-> Hymenoptera 19

-> Hymenoptera 20

-> Hymenoptera 21

-> Hymenoptera 22

-> Hymenoptera 23

-> Hymenoptera 24

-> Index, Common Names

-> Index, Scientific Names

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© David Element.