Alexanders vs Cliff Mason Bee

Angelica atropurpurea compared with Osmia xanthomelana

Key Differences

  • Alexanders is Least Concern while Cliff Mason Bee is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank Alexanders Cliff Mason Bee
Kingdom Plantae (Plants) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Magnoliophyta (Flowering Plants) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Magnoliopsida (Dicots) Insecta (Insects)
Order Apiales (Apiales) Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family Apiaceae Megachilidae
Genus Angelica Osmia
Species Angelica atropurpurea Osmia xanthomelana

Conservation Status

Alexanders

LC — Least Concern

Cliff Mason Bee

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute Alexanders Cliff Mason Bee
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

Alexanders

Habitat

Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Range

Distributed across Canada, France, Norway, and United States.

Cliff Mason Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

Alexanders

The Alexanders (Angelica atropurpurea) is a species in the genus Angelica. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in diverse terrestrial habitats from tropical forests to temperate regions.

Cliff Mason Bee

The Cliff Mason Bee, Osmia species, is one of numerous solitary bees in the large genus Osmia, family Megachilidae, whose females construct individual brood cells from mud, clay, or resin in crevices on cliff faces, rock walls, and outcrops. Mason bees are important pollinators of wildflowers and orchard crops, collecting pollen and nectar to provision their nests. Cliff mason bees take advantage of natural crevices in rock faces as nesting sites, plastering cells of mud mixed with sand grains or plant material to subdivide the crevice into individual egg chambers. Each cell contains a pollen-nectar mass food provision and a single egg before being sealed with a mud plug. Males typically emerge first in spring, followed by females, and adults live for only several weeks, devoted entirely to mating and nesting. Cliff-nesting Osmia species are found in rocky habitats across the Holarctic region, from Europe through Asia and North America. The availability of suitable nesting sites on cliff faces, combined with the proximity of diverse wildflower resources, determines population density. Many solitary bee populations have declined in recent decades due to loss of nesting habitat and floral resources. Specific conservation status depends on the species intended.

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