- Osmia avosetta
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Osmia avosetta Scientific classification Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Family: Megachilidae Genus: Osmia Species: O. avosetta Binomial name Osmia avosetta
Warncke, 1988Osmia avosetta is a species of mason bee. It is solitary by nature, and is unique in its use of flower petals to construct nests for its larvae.[1]
The female O. avosetta digs shallow tunnels in the ground consisting of one or two chambers, each of which it then covers with flower petals glued together with mud. It then places larval food in each chamber and seals it with soil and by folding the petals over. The cell hardens to form protection for the larva against predation and weather. This behavior was first observed in 2009, by two research groups working separately in the mountains of Turkey and Iran.[1]
References
- ^ a b Holland, Jennifer S. (October 2010), "Flower Beds", National Geographic 218 (6).
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