Osmia lignaria
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Osmia lignaria, commonly known as the orchard mason bee or blue orchard bee, is a megachilid bee that makes nests in natural holes and reeds, creating individual cells for its brood that are separated by mud dividers. Unlike carpenter bees, it cannot drill holes in wood. O. lignaria is a common species used for early spring fruit bloom in the United States and Canada, though a number of other Osmia species are cultured for use in pollination.
The majority of research has been conducted in western orchards on the western subspecies. Efforts at establishing them outside their native range have met with mixed results. Researchers in one eastern study (Virginia / North Carolina) using the eastern O. l. lignaria found them to prefer the native redbud over the orchard fruits. They do not overwinter in Florida and the Gulf Coast because of the lack of cold winter temperatures needed in its development cycle. In the almond industry, where bloom time is early,... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Portland | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 2 | Vancouver | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Seattle | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Salt Lake City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | San Francisco | 🇺🇸 United States |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Orchard Bee sighting in Vancouver on a given day, based on 73 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 97th most-seen of the 482 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
March to May
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Blue Orchard Bee in Vancouver on a given day, against under 5% in June to February, the lowest months.
Among the best
Of the 8 cities where we can rate Blue Orchard Bee sightings, Vancouver ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Portland (United States, about 10%).
Same family: Megachilidae
The closest relatives of the Blue Orchard Bee that you can see in Vancouver (family Megachilidae, Mason, Leafcutter, Carder, and Resin Bees) are Oblong Woolcarder Bee (about 10%) and European Woolcarder Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Blue Orchard Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Vancouver (73 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
