SEE THE WORLD...
THE MALE ‘orchard’ or ‘mason’ bee ( Osmia cornuta) is recognisable by his impressive hairdo. As you can see in the photo on the previous spread, the face and underside of the head are covered in long, white hairs. The female of the species is considerably more discreet with her plain black hairstyle. Native to almost all of Europe, these wild bees are also ‘solitary’, meaning they do not live in hives or have queens like honey bees, but rather live on their own. They start building their nests in May. After mating, the male leaves and the female stays behind to care for the next generation.