Images

Here is a series of male and female western glinting Osmia. There is a whole clade of Osmia that have thrust aside the drab dark colors of their Osmini kin for fresh look of maximum iridescence. That iridescence trends across greens and blues and purples with males often more on the green side.

Here is a series of male and female western glinting Osmia. There is a whole clade of Osmia that have thrust aside the drab dark colors of their Osmini kin for fresh look of maximum iridescence. That iridescence trends across greens and blues and purples with males often more on the green side.

Osmia caerulescens male Acadia National Park, an introduced species, but surprisingly one that is declining in parts of its range, photoshopped by Ann Simpkins

Check out the midnight blue on the female. Your Prius should look so good. Female photos by Wayne Boo. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Check out the midnight blue on the female. Your Prius should look so good. Female photos by Wayne Boo. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Check out the midnight blue on the female. Your Prius should look so good. Female photos by Wayne Boo. yPhotography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Ah the glow in the dark Mason bees of the West. Very jealous...we don't have this model of Osmia out east. For some reason bright green works for a whole passel of Osmia and the related Hoplitis. Funny how this blingy green/blue/purple invades certain genera of bees and is completely absent from others. What is the driver. I like to think it is bee aesthetics.

Ah the glow in the dark Mason bees of the West. Very jealous...we don't have this model of Osmia out east. For some reason bright green works for a whole passel of Osmia and the related Hoplitis. Funny how this blingy green/blue/purple invades certain genera of bees and is completely absent from others. What is the driver. I like to think it is bee aesthetics.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Osmia conjuncta "“ A female captured in Carroll County, Maryland by Tim McMahon and photographed by Brooke Alexander.

This beautiful blue bee nests in snail shells. I am not sure if there are other species in the East that nest in snail shells, there could be...we know so very little about most species. Collected in Maryland somewhere (probably western Maryland) and Photographed by Wayne Boo.

More Osmia conjucta pictures...in this case it is a male. See the previous posts regarding the female and a tidbit of life history info for this species.

An alien species introduced from the island of Japan in the 1980s. This and its sister the same region are now the dominant Osmia species in the mid-Atlantic area. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

An eastern Osmia....this is Osmia georgica. Noted for the large projecting horns on its mandibles that likely help the female carry mud to her nest to make partitions. A hole nester that will take up residence in holes you drill in your front porch posts like I do. Photos by Ashleigh Jacobs.

Osmia georgica....Note the expanded and swollen ends to the mandibles, while it is not quite clear what the purpose the serve it is likely to help carry leaf pulp to make dividers for the nest cells they create in the former tunnels of beetles. Found in Maryland and photographed by Sue Boo

An eastern Osmia....this is Osmia georgica. Noted for the large projecting horns on its mandibles that likely help the female carry mud to her nest to make partitions. A hole nester that will take up residence in holes you drill in your front porch posts like I do. Photos by Ashleigh Jacobs.

Osmia georgica. Nests in holes. Hangs out on mid summer composites. Has orange pollen carrying hairs. Has boss knobs on the upper side of the mandibles (why?). This specimen found on Dave Wagner's transmission line study in New England by Michael Veit. All good.

Osmia georgica - Note the slight orangish tone to the hairs under the abdomen. These are used to carry the pollen they collect while out and about. Found in Maryland and photographed by Sue Boo

Osmia georgica. Nests in holes. Hangs out on mid summer composites. Has orange pollen carrying hairs. Has boss knobs on the upper side of the mandibles (why?). This specimen found on Dave Wagner's transmission line study in New England by Michael Veit. All good.

Osmia georgica. A relatively regular, but not overly abundant hole nesting Osmia. While small it is notable for have what looks like growths on its mandibles, making them quite distinctive. These elevations are probably used to help carry mud to the nests while forming partitions between their cells. Photography by Ashleigh Jacobs.