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…
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.
ReplyDeleteHi CV,
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteI 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.
ReplyDeleteHello 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
ReplyDeleteLaura x
Fascinating insight into this little creature's world.
ReplyDeleteAnd 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!
ReplyDeleteWow, Liz! Fantastic post! Now, to apologize to my slugs, I'll go and give them some beer.
ReplyDelete