Osmia bruneri Cockerell, 1897
Properties
Scientific Name: Osmia bruneri Cockerell, 1897
Common Name: Bruner\\\\\\\'s Mason Bee
Taxonomy
Osmia bruneri Cockerell, 1897: 337 [♀].
Holotype ♀. USA, Colorado, Colorado Springs, by L. Bruner [no. 19] [USNM no. 5806].
Osmia Bennettae Cockerell, 1907: 122 [♂]. Synonymy of O. cobaltina bruneri Cockerell by Michener (1936: 17).
Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, Boulder, Campus of University of Colorado, 8 May 1907, by C. Bennett, on Taraxacum taraxacum [UCMC].
Osmia holochlora Cockerell, 1923: 205 [♂]. Synonymy by Sandhouse (1939: 134).
Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, Pike’s Preek [Peak, see Cockerell 1911: 358 for corrected spelling], Minnehaha, 13 June 1918, by F. Long, on Pentstemon gracilis [USNM no. 27304].
Taxonomic notes: Cockerell (1908: 330) indicated that both sexes of O. bruneri were collected in Troublesome, Colorado, by S.A. Rohwer, and provided a description of the ♂. He indicated that the ♂ differed from his O. bennettae by the black hair of the clypeus, and shape of the abdomen (Cockerell 1908: 330). Cockerell (1923: 205-206) indicated that Osmia holochlora Cockerell was also similar to O. bennettae Cockerell, differening slightly in integument colour (i.e., bright yellowish green with purple tints), and in the hair of the head and thorax being pure white. Cockerell (1911: 767) also noted the similarity of O. bruneri to O. cobaltina Cresson, suggesting that the two species integrade between the Pacific coast and Rocky Mountains. He also compared O. bruneri to O. illinoensis Robertson, indicating that the former has much coarse dark hair on the clypeus, the latter with the hair entirely white.
Michener (1936: 17) gave a description distinguishing O. bruneri Cockerell from O. cobaltina Cresson, indicating that the previous work of Sandhouse (1924: 361) and Cockerell (1928) were inadequate for this purpose, though Cockerell (1911: 767) suggested the two species intergrade. Michener (1936: 17) also considered O. bruneri a subspecies of O. cobaltina, which subsequently has not been supported (Sandhouse 1939: 133; Michener 1951: 1168; Hurd 1979: 2042).
Lending support to Sandhouse’s (1939: 134) synonymy of O. holochlora Cockerell under O. bruneri, Cockerell (1919: 358) indicated that O. bruneri was collected at Minnehaha, Pike’s Peak by Frances Long, the type locality of O. holochlora, possibly even the same collecting event.
DNA Barcode Index Number (BIN): BOLD:AAD4163
Biology: Tepedino and Stackhouse (1987) and Frolich et al. (1988) reported this species using trap nests. Parker and Tepedino (1990) used the species in greenhouses to pollinate Cuphea (Lythraceae), noting that in addition to using pollen and nectar from Cuphea, it also would construct its nest with masticated leaves. They also noted that the species is mostly univoltine and winters as an adult; a small proportion of overwintering adults are parsivoltine, requiring two years (Parker and Tepedino 1990).
Distribution in Canada: Sandhouse 1939 [BC]; Buckell 1950 [BC]; Elwell 2012 [BC]; Sheffield and Heron 2019 [BC].
References
Cockerell TDA (1897) New and little-known North American bees. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 49: 334-355.http://www.jstor.org/stable/4062289
Cockerell TDA (1907) Descriptions and records of bees.—XVI. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 7 20(116): 122-132.https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930709487315
Cockerell TDA (1908) Descriptions and records of bees.—XX. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8) 2: 323-334. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222930808692489
Sandhouse GA (1939) The North American bees of the genus Osmia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Washington 1: 1-167.
Cockerell TDA (1911) Descriptions and records of bees.—XL. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 8 8(48): 763-770. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931108693096
Michener CD (1936) Some North American Osmiinae (Hymenoptera, Apoidea). American Museum Novitates 875: 1-30.
Cockerell TDA (1923) Some Colorado bees. The Canadian Entomologist 55(9): 205-206. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent55205-9
Tepedino VJ, Stackhouse M (1987) Bee visitors of sweetvetch, Hedysarum boreale boreale (Leguminosae), and their pollen-collecting activities. The Great Basin Naturalist 47: 314-318.
Frohlich DR, Clark WH, Parker FD, Griswold TL (1988) The xylophilous bees and wasps of a high, cold desert: Leslie Gulch, Oregon (Hymenoptera: Apoidea, Vespoidea). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 64(3): 266-269.
Parker FD, Tepedino VJ (1990) Bee pollination of Cuphea (Lythraceae) species in greenhouse and field. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 66(1): 9-12.
Sandhouse GA (1924) Bees of the genus Osmia in the collection of the California Academy of Sciences. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences. Fourth Series, 13(22): 341-372.
Cockerell TDA (1919) Descriptions and records of bees.—LXXXVII. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 9 4(23): 355-360. https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931908673902
Sociality: Solitary
Nesting: Cavity Renter
Pollen Specialization: Polylectic
Wintering Stage: Adult
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Not Available
Distribution: British Columbia
Ecozone: Montane Cordillera, Western Interior Basin