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Red Mason Bee

Osmia bicornis

Basic Information

Common name: Red Mason Bee
Scientific name: Osmia bicornis

Fluffy orange-red abdomen.

Early spring bee. Loves a bee hotel.

Classification

Bee TypeSolitary
StatusCommon
Cuckoo StatusNon-cuckoo
DistributionWidespread
Tail ColourRed Tail

Keynotes

  • Can be quite orange but variable

  • Males have pale-yellow face hair

  • Males emerge first and wait around for females

  • Females use 'horns' to make nest cells from mud

  • Pollen collected under abdomen

  • Spend winter as adults in cocoons

Nest Information

  • Use holes in dead wood, walls, buildings, hollow stems, bee hotels

  • Made from wet mud

  • One cycle per year

  • April - July

Distribution

  • Common England and Wales, less common Scotland

  • Habitat: built and urban environments, gardens, churchyards, parks

Castes

MALE

April
No Diagram
No Photo

  1. Pale yellow hair

  2. Pale brown 'halo'

  3. Orange-red

  4. Orange-red

Tail:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Head:

FEMALE

May
No Diagram
No Photo

  1. Black, two 'horns'

  2. Pale brown 'halo'

  3. Orange-red

  4. Orange-red

Tail:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Head:Black Head

Flower Preferences

Long tongue. Important fruit pollinators

  • forget-me-not

  • fruit trees

  • garden plants

  • plum

  • raspberry

  • sallow

🌼

Apples

🌼

Pears

🌼

Poppy