Osmia ribifloris, one of several species referred to as a blueberry bee, is a megachilid bee native to western North America, including Oregon, California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and northern Mexico. This solitary bee normally gathers pollen from plants in the family Ericaceae, with manzanita, Arctostaphylos sp. being a preferred host in the wild. It will pollinate blueberries, and is sometimes used commercially for this purpose.[1]

Osmia ribifloris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Megachilidae
Genus: Osmia
Species:
O. ribifloris
Binomial name
Osmia ribifloris
Cockerell, 1900

References edit

  1. ^ Torchio, P. F. (1990). "Osmia ribifloris, a Native Bee Species Developed as a Commercially Managed Pollinator of Highbush Blueberry (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 63 (3): 427–436. ISSN 0022-8567.

External links edit