Red Mason Bee by Enmos

Photography • Macro • posted on May 27, 2005

Open full image in new tab Zoom on image

Hover over top left image to zoom.
Click anywhere to exit.

Members remain the original copyright holder in all their materials here at Renderosity. Use of any of their material inconsistent with the terms and conditions set forth is prohibited and is considered an infringement of the copyrights of the respective holders unless specially stated otherwise.

Description

Thanks for viewing !! :o) -- I screwed up on an identification some time ago. The "Andrena nigroaenea" is really the Red Mason Bee, just like the one in todays image *shame* - Red Mason Bee, Osmia rufa The Red Mason Bee is a solitary bee. That is, each nest tube is the work of a single female working alone; unlike the honeybees and bumblebees, there is no worker caste of sterile females. It is widely distributed in continental Europe and even penetrates into the Mediterranean region. They are covered with a dense, gingery fur. The males are 6-11mm long with a dense tuft of white hairs on the front of the head. The more robust females are 10-16mm in length. Their heads are entirely black-haired and is larger and squarer than that of the males. This is to accommodate the large muscles associated with the powerful jaws used to excavate mud. The species has an annual life cycle. Males and females emerge in early spring (late March to April) and mate. Females then seek out suitable nest sites usually beetle borings in dead wood, hollow plant stems, or irregular cavities in stones and old walls. Each nest tube comprises a series of cells. The female starts her first cell at the back of the nest. She makes 10 to 15 foraging trips to collect sufficient pollen to provision each cell. The pollen is mixed with a little nectar and this acts as a food source for the single egg, which she lays immediately before sealing the cell with a mud partition. The process is repeated until the tube is filled with a row of about 6 to 10 cells. Hope you like :o) - Thanks for all your wonderful comments on my last upload, "Brimstone (for Danny)" !! -- Many thanks, Jeroen

Comments (42)

)

bkhook

9:08PM | Fri, 27 May 2005

An excellent synopsis of this insect and it's life cycle. Your photo is impeccable. Beauty.. total beauty!

logiloglu

9:27PM | Fri, 27 May 2005

a most beautul image. perfect macro photography #:O)

)

Richardphotos

11:48PM | Fri, 27 May 2005

well Jeroen, I do not if I can take you at face value anymore since you made a mistake-haha-joking. beautiful bee whatever it's name is and super macro

KiwiMiss

6:07AM | Sat, 28 May 2005

Excellent macro ... such details and colours

)