The medium-sized mason bee’s black and red females look a lot like the much bigger and fluffier O cornuta (a recent discovery currently only known from ta few sites in southern England). It’s easy to mistake the males for faded O. spp. males because they look very different. The males are brownish or grayish with slightly redder tails. aurulenta but have smaller heads and the margin of tergite 6 is smoothly rounded. Males of O. spinulosa and Hoplitis claviventris are also rather similar but much smaller. The Osmia bicolor species lives mostly in calcareous places, like chalk and limestone grasslands, quarries and calcareous coastal dunes. But it can sometimes be found in sandpits and brownfield sites that aren’t made of calcareous rock, as well as in the rides and clearings of calcareous woods. Most of the records are from southern England, south of the Severn-Wash line. However, there is clear evidence of a northward spread into the Midlands, using brownfield sites as stepping stones, with sites as far north as Cheshire (2021). There are also records for the Gower Peninsula and Pembrokeshire in South Wales. Males are some of the first bees to appear in spring (usually early March). Females appear a week or two later but persist until June or early July. A lot of different flowers are seen, including spring-flowering shrubs like hawthorn, sallow, and blackthorn, as well as low flowers like dandelions, violets, ground-ivy, kidney vetch, and birds-foot-trefoils. They like to nest in empty snail shells that are on warm, sunny, south-facing slopes with short grass or sparse, opne swards. Females will gather grass stalks and other things to make a wigwam shape around their shells. This is likely to make them look more like other plants and animals and make parasites and predators like Sapyga wasps less likely to attack them. There are good videos of this behaviour on the BWARS web site. BWARS account:www. bwars. com/index. php?q=bee/megachilidae/osmia-bicolor.
The red tailed mason bee is a truly remarkable little creature. This solitary bee has some unique behaviors and adaptations that make it a critically important pollinator. In this article we’ll explore why the red tailed mason bee is so vital to ecosystems and how you can help support its population.
The red tailed mason bee, scientifically known as Osmia bicornis, is a species of mason bee found throughout much of Europe It gets its name from the distinctive ginger hairs found on the female’s abdomen
Red tailed mason bees are solitary bees, meaning each female builds her own nest rather than living in a communal hive. The nests are constructed in pre-existing holes, usually in wood or stems of plants. Unlike some other bee species, the red tailed mason bee does not excavate its own nesting site.
These bees feed on pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers They are important pollinators for many wildflowers, fruits, and vegetables Their fuzzy red tails make them efficient at carrying pollen from plant to plant.
Unique Nesting Behavior
One of the most fascinating things about red tailed mason bees is their nesting habits. As mentioned earlier, these bees do not dig their own nests. Instead, they seek out existing hollows.
Some of the more unusual nesting sites include old snail shells, holes in mortar, cracks in windowsills, and even keyholes! The female bee will construct a linear series of cells within the cavity using mud she gathers and mixes with her mandibles.
The cells are stocked with balls of pollen and nectar, upon which a single egg is laid. The female then seals up the opening with chewed leaves, soil, or other debris. She may even cover the nest with a mound of items like grass stems to camouflage and protect it.
Sexual Dimorphism and Mating
There are clear physical differences between male and female red tailed mason bees. Females are larger, growing up to 12 mm long. They have dark hairs on the head and thorax along with the distinctive red abdominal fur. Males are smaller at 8-10 mm in length. They have light fur all over and an extra antennal segment compared to females.
Mating occurs in spring soon after the females emerge from their pupal stage. The males patrol flowers looking for unmated females who they can detect through pheromones. Interestingly, the females mate only once in their lifetime, usually with a male from her same nesting area.
Females lay female eggs in the back of the nest and male eggs towards the entrance so the males emerge first. The bees mate close to their nesting site with related partners.
Solitary Life Cycle
The red tailed mason bee has a solitary, non-social lifestyle. Each female works alone to build her linear nest, gather pollen, lay eggs, and seal cells. There is no queen or hive structure.
In spring, mated females emerge from their cocoons inside last year’s nests. After mating, the females spend several weeks foraging for food and constructing new nests.
Once the nest is prepared with pollen and nectar, the female lays a single egg in each cell and seals it shut. The eggs hatch after about one week. The larvae develop over summer, spinning a protective cocoon in which they overwinter as adults. The following spring the cycle begins again.
Why Are Mason Bees Important?
So what makes this single red tailed mason bee so important? As a species, mason bees are extremely efficient pollinators. Their fuzzy coat of hairs picks up and carries pollen far more effectively than smooth-bodied bees.
Red tailed mason bees pollinate many different plants including important agricultural crops like apples, cherries, plums, blueberries, and more. These solitary bees can also pollinate plants that honeybees do not visit as frequently.
Because they don’t make honey and live alone in scattered nests, mason bees are less susceptible to parasites, disease, and habitat loss issues impacting honeybees. Boosting native bee populations leads to better pollination and food production.
How to Support Red Tailed Mason Bees
Want to help red tailed mason bees thrive in your area? Here are some tips:
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Plant pollen and nectar rich flowers they rely on like catmint, comfrey, and foxgloves.
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Leave areas of bare soil and dead wood intact for nesting sites.
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Put up manufactured bee houses made with tubes or holes.
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Avoid disturbing areas with nests when doing yardwork.
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Reduce pesticide usage which harms bee health.
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Support conservation groups who create bee-friendly habitats.
With a few small changes, you can make a big difference for these fascinating and important wild pollinators! The red tailed mason bee may be a solitary creature, but together we can improve the health of its population and the ecosystems that rely on its pollination services.
Red Mason bee life cycle updated 2016 Nurturing Nature site
FAQ
Are red mason bees aggressive?
Where do red-tailed mason bees live?
Can red tailed bumble bees sting?
Are mason bees good or bad?
Are red mason bees good pollinators?
Red mason bees are excellent pollinators, particularly of apple trees. For effective use of these bees as pollinators of winter rape plantations in Poland, they should be located at least 300 m from entomophilous plants, which distract the bees from pollinating the plants of interest.
What is a red tailed mason bee?
Also known as the two-coloured mason bee, this beautiful bee is famous for nesting in old snail shells. Male red-tailed mason bees appear early in spring, usually in early March, with the more distinctive females emerging a week or two later. They’re most at home on chalk and limestone grasslands, quarries, and brownfield sites.
Where do red tailed mason bees live?
Also found in south Wales. Did you know? Female red-tailed mason bees will chew up bits of leaf and plaster them to the outside of the snail shell they use as a nest, adding to the camouflage provided by the mound of grass stems they pile on top of it.
What flowers do red tailed mason bees eat?
Males are known to shelter in empty snail shells in inclement weather. Red-tailed mason bee visit a range of flowers and flowering shrubs, such as bird’s foot trefoil, wood anemone, kidney vetch, dandelion, daisy, violets, dead nettle, bluebell, bugle, ground ivy are among the flowers visited by this species.
Are mason bees aggressive?
Mason bees are a solitary species and are non-aggressive. Osmiaare cavity nesting bees. The females make their nests in existing cracks and crevices in walls, but they also favour hollow plant stems. Each nest cells is provisioned with pollen and contains one egg which will develop into a larva that looks a little like a pale grub.
What is a red mason bee – Osmia bicorn?
The Red Mason Bee – Osmia bicornis a female. Mason beesare so-called, because they commonly use mud in the construction of their nests, however, it is actually the common substitute name used to describe bees belonging to the genus‘Osmia’which are part of the family ‘ Megachilidae ’.