Hornfaced Bee

Osmia cornifrons

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Osmiini
Genus: Osmia
Species: cornifrons

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Osmia cornifrons: //ˈɒs.mi.ə kɔːrˈni.frɔːnz//

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Images

An-example-observation-nest-block-with-O by Matthew I. McKinney, Yong-Lak Park. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Native solitary bees by KVDP. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Osmia cornifrons.5.1.08.w by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Osmia lignaria, F, Side, Washington, DC 2013-11-13-09.29.58 ZS PMax (12330401803) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Osmia 4.19.08.w by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.

Osmia cornifrons, F, Face, Washington, DC 2014-02-23-15.08.06 ZS PMax (22502757351) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Summary

Osmia cornifrons, or the hornfaced bee, is a solitary species effective in pollinating flowers, particularly apple crops, known for its characteristic facial extensions and introduced to North America for agricultural purposes.

Physical Characteristics

Osmia cornifrons is recognized for its horn-like extensions originating from its lower face and is characterized as a solitary bee.

Identification Tips

Look for the horn-like facial extensions which are a distinguishing feature of this species.

Habitat

Prefers humid environments and nests in bamboo, reeds, and existing holes in trees, but can also function in cooler environments.

Distribution

Native to East Asia, primarily found in Japan, Korea, China, and Russia; widely introduced and established in eastern North America.

Diet

Primarily feeds on pollen and nectar from a variety of flowers, showing high flower constancy.

Life Cycle

Life cycles consist of six stages: spring incubation, pre-nesting, nesting, development, prewintering, and wintering. Development is affected by temperature, with emergence correlating closely to crop flowering periods.

Reproduction

Females can lay up to 30 eggs in their lifetime, utilizing haplodiploid sex determination to control offspring sex ratio. Males are haploid, while females are diploid.

Predators

Populations are affected by parasitic mites, particularly Chaetodactylus nipponicus, Chaetodactylus hirashimai, and Chaetodactylus krombeini, the last of which has a significant negative impact on productivity.

Ecosystem Role

Essential pollinators for fruit crops, particularly apple, recognized for their effectiveness and speed in pollination.

Economic Impact

Introduced for crop pollination, particularly effective in increasing fruit yield in orchards.

Cultural Significance

Utilized in Japan for apple tree pollination; introduced to North America for similar agricultural benefits.

Misconceptions

Often confused with the native species Osmia lignaria, which has similar management practices for pollination.