Osmia (Osmia) bicornis (Linnaeus, 1758)

A univoltine species; April (exceptionally the end of March) to June, sometimes continuing into July (various authors including Mavromoustakis, 1948; Westrich, 1989; Stanisavljević, 2000; Amiet et al., 2004; Else & Edwards, 2018). Baldock et al. (in prep.) report flight activity from April and May in the Balearic Islands (Spain).

Parasites and predators: Hymenopterous cleptoparasites and parasitoids found associating with this species in Britain and the rest of Europe are Chrysis ignita (Chrysididae) (F. Smith, 1876; van der Zanden, 1982. Possibly misidentified Chysura radians in both instances), Chrysis iris (Banaszak & Romasenko, 1989), Sapyga quinquepunctata and S. clavicornis (Sapygidae) (van der Zanden, 1982; C. Clee, (pers.comm.) has observed S. quinquepunctata entering nest burrows of this species in a cliff and trap-nests in north Wales ); Stelis phaeoptera (Megachilinae) (Blüthgen in Schmiedeknecht, 1930); Monodontomerus dentipes and M. obscurus (Torymidae) (F. Smith, 1876 and Raw, 1972 respectively). Inquilines belonging to other orders are Megatoma undata (Coleoptera, Dermestidae) (Popovici-Baznosanu, 1910; O'Toole, 2010), Ptinus sexpunctatus (Coleoptera, Ptinidae) (Hamm, 1924); Cacoxenus indigator (Diptera, Drosophilidae) (Richards, 1932; Raw, 1972); Chaetodactylus osmiae (Acarina, Chaetodactylidae) (Stammer, 1957; Raw, 1972); and Tyrophagus species (Acarina, Acaridae) (Raw, 1972). Westrich (1989) illustrates a male of this bee covered with mites.

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