A few blogs ago I mentioned a tiny Bee on the Clover flowers which seemed to be Blue… Photos I got were always poor because it never got close enough for me to snap away.
A few days later I was sat near my black Hollyhocks and the little Bee landed on one of the leaves. It promptly began eating/cutting the leaf and I assumed it was some sort of Leaf Cutting Bee.
It’s actually a Blue Mason Bee, it’s tiny and apparently they collect the leaves for their grubs…
A few days later I was sat near my black Hollyhocks and the little Bee landed on one of the leaves. It promptly began eating/cutting the leaf and I assumed it was some sort of Leaf Cutting Bee.
It’s actually a Blue Mason Bee, it’s tiny and apparently they collect the leaves for their grubs…
Collecting the cut leaf into a ball against its abdomen… 
And now about to set off with the ball in its mouth… 
One ball abandoned as I scared one away by accident. 
2 on a leaf, sometimes there were up to 4…
And here I was assuming weevils or slugs/snails were turning the leaves into rather fetching lace…
8 comments:
Interesting. Here our Blue Orchard Mason Bees (Osmia lignaria) construct their nests of mud (hence the term 'mason', because they build mud walls between nest cells). I would have presumed a leaf-cutting bee too, rather than a Mason bee.
Hi CV,
I couldn't find any sort of blue leaf cutter Bees... But on this website: http://www.buckingham-nurseries.co.uk/acatalog/Mason_Bees.html
It states:
"It also uses leaf mastic rather than mud for building nests."
Which sounds about right to me. In my experience Leaf Cutter Bees cut a shape out of the leaf and carry it off, they don't mush it up and carry it in a little ball :)
Hi Liz....how interesting. I have never seen this bee.
I have leaf cutter bees in the garden......they are extremely busy at the moment. They do not leave the little ball.
You must have a nest nearby, or in your garden........how lovely.
What excellent photography and an interesting post.
Hello Liz - was amazed at these wonderful images of your little bee in action. Have never seen this before so a real treat of a post for me. I have hollyhocks so will look out for them
Laura x
Fascinating insight into this little creature's world.
And great photos! I can't imagine how you got the right focus.
Interesting bee, great pictures :) I always see bees and hummingbirds in my garden but too fast for me to get a photograph, one day I guess! Lately tons of butterflies have been coming around, I just love them!
Wow, Liz! Fantastic post! Now, to apologize to my slugs, I'll go and give them some beer.
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