Osmia (Diceratosmia)

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Osmiini
Genus: Osmia Panzer, 1806
Subgenus: Diceratosmia Robertson, 1903
Common name: none

Overview

Osmia (Diceratosmia) are metallic blue or green bees with mostly pale pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, including scopal hairs, which can be white, golden, or reddish-golden (Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.). They range in body length from 4–8 mm (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37., unless otherwise stated)

• Head, thorax, and abdomen with large coarse punctures.
• Hind coxacoxa:
  the basal segment of the leg
  with strong longitudinal carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  along inner ventralventral:
  of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
  angle (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Parapsidal lines somewhat elongate (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Terga terga:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with narrow apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  bands of pale tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  , at least on the first tergumtergum:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  .
• Females with pale scopal hairs.
• Male S4S4:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  doubly carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  along the posterior margin.
• Male T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  teeth present.

May be confused with

Osmia (Diceratosmia) may be confused with O. (Pyrosmia) due to similar characters such as carinatecarinate:
having keels or carinae
posterior margin of the male S4S4:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
, carinatecarinate:
having keels or carinae
hind coxaecoxae:
the basal segment of the leg
in females, short pale pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, and elongate parapsidal lines (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). However, these subgenera can be differentiated by the hind coxaecoxae:
the basal segment of the leg
being extremely carinatecarinate:
having keels or carinae
in both sexes of O. (Diceratosmia), whereas it is less carinatecarinate:
having keels or carinae
in male O. (Pyrosmia) (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Additionally, O. (Diceratosmia) lacks a median groove on the S6S6:
the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
, which is present in O. (Pyrosmia) (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Host associations

Osmia (Diceratosmia) have been observed visiting Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Brassicaceae, Rubiaceae, Fabaceae, Boraginaceae, Cactaceae, Malvaceae, Arecaceae, Anacardiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Portulacaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae, Solanaceae, and Zygophyllaceae (Dieringer et al. 1991Dieringer et al. 1991:
Dieringer, G., T.P. Ramamoorthy, and P.T. Lezama. 1991. Floral visitors and their behavior to sympatric Saliva species (Lamiaceae) in Mexico. Acta Botanica Mexicana 13: 75ndash;83.; Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.). One species of Diceratosmia, Osmia conjunctoides, was observed visiting Crotalaria pumila (Rightmyer et al. 2011Rightmyer et al. 2011:
Rightmyer, M.G., M. Deyrup, J.S. Ascher, and T. Griswold. 2011. Osmia species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) from the southeastern United States with modified facial fairs: taxonomy, host plants, and conservation status. Zookeys 148: 257-278.).

Nesting behavior

Osmia (Diceratosmia) have been observed nesting in snail shells, beetle burrows, and leaf pulp rolled in the sand (Rau 1937; Linsley 1946Linsley 1946:
Linsley, E.G. 1946. Insect pollinators of alfalfa in California. Journal of Economic Entomology 39: 18ndash;29.; Mitchell 1962Mitchell 1962:
Mitchell, T.B. 1962. Bees of the Eastern United States. Vol. II. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 152:1ndash;557.; Krombein 1967Krombein 1967:
Krombein, K.V. 1967. Trap nesting wasp and bees: life histories, nests, and associates. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Press.; Neff and Simpson 1992Neff and Simpson 1992:
Neff, J.L. and B.B. Simpson. 1992. Nest biology of Osmia (Diceratosmia) subfasciata Cresson in central Texas (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Pan-Pacific Entomology 68: 15ndash;26.; Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.). Osmia (Diceratosmia) is the only Osmia subgenus in the Western Hemisphere that is known to nest in snail shells (Cane et al. 2007Cane et al. 2007:
Cane, J.H., T. Griswold, and F.D. Parker. 2007. Substrates and materials used for nesting by North American Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Megachilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 100: 350ndash;358.; Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.).

Diversity

Osmia (Diceratosmia) contains eleven species (Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Distribution

Osmia (Diceratosmia) is endemic to North America and can be found from Costa Rica to southeastern Canada, with most species occurring in southern U.S. and Mexico (Griswold and Rightmyer 2017Griswold and Rightmyer 2017:
Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia) , with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1ndash;37.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Cane, J.H., T. Griswold, and F.D. Parker. 2007. Substrates and materials used for nesting by North American Osmia bees (Hymenoptera: Apiformes: Megachilidae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 100: 350–358.

Dieringer, G., T.P. Ramamoorthy, and P.T. Lezama. 1991. Floral visitors and their behavior to sympatricsympatric:
overlapping geographic distribution
Saliva species (Lamiaceae) in Mexico. Acta Botanica Mexicana 13: 75-83.

Griswold, T. and M.G. Rightmyer. 2017. A revision of the subgenus Osmia (Diceratosmia), with descriptions of four new species (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Zootaxa 4337: 1-37.

Krombein, K.V. 1967. Trap nesting wasps and bees: life histories, nests, and associates. Smithsonian Press, Washington, DC.

Linsley, E.G. 1946. Insect pollinators of alfalfa in California. Journal of Economic Entomology 39: 18-29.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World. 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.

Mitchell, T.B. 1962. Bees of the eastern United States, 2ed. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 152.

Neff, J.L. and B.B. Simpson. 1992. Nest biology of Osmia (Diceratosmia) subfasciata Cresson in central Texas (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Pan-Pacific Entomology 68: 15-26.

Rightmyer, M.G., M. Deyrup, J.S. Ascher, and T. Griswold. 2011. Osmia species (Hymenoptera, Megachilidae) from the southeastern United States with modified facial fairs: taxonomy, host plants, and conservation status. Zookeys 148: 257-278.