Osmia (Pyrosmia) viridana MORAWITZ, 1874

Renter: Snail shells. The linear nest is constructed in the whorls of vacated snail shells of small to medium size (e.g. Eobania, Helicella, Zebrina) with usually several cells per shell; holes in rocks; abandoned cells in exposed nests of Megachile (Chalicodoma) lefebvrei with up to 7 cells per Megachile cell. Mavromoustakis (1948) reports nesting in shells of Pseudoxerophila confusa (Gittenberger, 1991)(as Helicella cretica sitiensis) in Cyprus.

LeGoff (pers.comm) reports nesting in shells of Cochlicella barbara, Cornuella neglecta and Albea candidissima in France

Nesting material:The cell partitions and the closure plug are made of leaf mastic mixed with small pebbles. The space between the partition of the outermost cell and the nest plug is loosely filled with small pebbles, earth crumbs or pieces of dry blades. (Amiet et al., 2004; Banaszak and Romasenko, 2001; Benoist, 1931; Ferton, 1901; Mavromoustakis, 1939, 1948, 1957; A. Müller, personal observation).

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