Osmia (Erythrosmia) melanura Morawitz, 1871

Renter: Snail shells. The nest is constructed in empty snail shells of Theba pisana (Mollusca; Helicidae). After the shell is closed, it is transported over a short distance of up to 50cm and then buried into the sandy ground (ca. 1-2cm deep).There is a single cell per shell.

Nesting material: The shells are closed 2-3 mm behind shell opening with a partition made of chewed leaf pulp; this partition is then used as the base for the thick nest plug which is built by embedding broken pieces of snail shells into a matrix of leaf pulp. The shell surface is not plastered with patches of leaf pulp. (Müller, 1992)

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