help to identify bee please

[enrico]

I hope I have attached a photo to this. Can anyone identify the bee? They are communal and are living in the stone wall of my house. I have seen solitary masonry bees before but this is a large community with loads of coming and going. They also carry pollen. Cant find any reference to them on internet or books
Would welcome the forums advice.
Not going to do anything with them at the moment as causing no problem but would like to know if they are here permanently or not!!!
Thanks
E

 

[Phil280]

Hi there.

It could be Osmia cornuata. (or O. bicornis)

Regards
Phil

 

[enrico]

Thanks Phil I will go and look it up

 

[enrico]

I cant find anything to say they live on the welsh borders!! Seems they are a European bee but not the UK, The O bicornis seems to be solitary and this most definitely is not. It is quite a big colony. But thanks
E

 

[susbees]

I cant find anything to say they live on the welsh borders!! Seems they are a European bee but not the UK, The O bicornis seems to be solitary and this most definitely is not. It is quite a big colony. But thanks
E

Solitary means that they lay their eggs and provide for them after mating with no help from worker-type "helpers"....nothing to do with how many independently live side-by-side...

...Osmia rufa. Simples.

 

[Phil280]

Hi enrico.

Try Osmia rufa (old name for O. bicornis)
Red Mason bee

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/natureplus/message/19067#19067

Greets
Phil

 

[enrico]

Thanks to both of you. I have always had red mason bees in the house walls but never ever have I seen them living in a colony like this. We have hundreds of holes so I am surprised they are all using the same one to live side by side when in the past they have been happy to have their own hole!! I guess I have learnt something new. Thanks again
E

 

[Craig1961]

Hi. I think it's allan. Hard to see from the back, could be George, but I'll go with Allan.
Hope this helps... Probably not though.
Craig

 

[Woeski]

Difficult to tell in the jumper he is wearing.......