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...and hello again (12)
meyerd
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 519 W: 68 N: 1693]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (5360) | Better known spring messengers:
At my "Bee Hotel" I was able to watch this scene: a male Red mason bee (Hymenoptera; Apidae; Osmia bicornis = Osmia rufa; Rote Mauerbiene) was waiting outside the hole for an emerging female. Both flew off together. I posted another shot of the rarely seen male in the workshop area.
ID:
You can identify the genus by the reddish-haired abdomen, combined with pulvilli between the claws and two (instead of three) cubital cells in the wing. There is a slight olive tinge to the black body. The species is told by the two horns below the antennae (only females have them) and the size, 10-12 mm. The male Osmia have a white "beard"! http://www.wildbienen.de/ helps a lot, but it is in german.
Males and females in bees, not workers? Osmia bicornis is one of the many wild bee species that are non colonial, and have therefore no workers like the honey bee or the bumble bees do.
Doctoring:
I post processed the RAW picture in PS. There was a problem with the matching color of the wood, so I desaturated the wood parts by hand somewhat. I also had to use the Shadows/ Highlight menu to compensate. The rest was as usual. |
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