Nesting behavior of Osmia tingitana Benoist (1969) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), endemic species of North Africa with first observation of its parasite Chrysura barbata Lucas (1849) (Hymenoptera: Chrysididae)
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Date
2017-02-05
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Journal of Entomology and Zoology Studies
Abstract
Abstract
The analysis of six Osmia tingitana nests found in snail shells showed that the female selects shells
belonging to the Hygromiidae family and whose diameter was between 1.8 and 3.5 cm. The nest building
materials consist essentially of sand, small pebbles, plant fragments (stems or flower petals) mixed with
the pollen grains. The nest was closed with a cap formed of a greenish paste consisting of pine needles
chewed and mixed with the bee saliva and pieces of the shell. The number of cells per nest was variable,
and range between 4 and 7 cells for multicellular nests.The different development stages were found in
the nests analyzed with observation for the first time in one nest of the parasitic species of osmia, namely
a cuckoo wasp, Chrysura barbata of the Chrysididae family.