American Toad vs Cliff Mason Bee

Anaxyrus americanus compared with Osmia xanthomelana

Key Differences

  • American Toad is Least Concern while Cliff Mason Bee is Not Evaluated.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank American Toad Cliff Mason Bee
Kingdom same Animalia (Animals) Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Chordata (Chordates) Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Amphibia (Amphibians) Insecta (Insects)
Order Anura (Frogs & Toads) Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees & Wasps)
Family Bufonidae Megachilidae
Genus Anaxyrus Osmia
Species Anaxyrus americanus Osmia xanthomelana

Evolutionary Relationship

American Toad and Cliff Mason Bee share a common ancestor at the Kingdom level: Animalia. (Animals)

Conservation Status

American Toad

LC — Least Concern

Cliff Mason Bee

NE — Not Evaluated

Physical Characteristics

Attribute American Toad Cliff Mason Bee
Diet
Average Lifespan
Average Length
Average Weight

Habitat & Geographic Range

American Toad

Habitat

Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

Range

Found in United States.

Cliff Mason Bee

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Luxembourg, and Sweden.

American Toad

The American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) is a species in the genus Anaxyrus. It is currently classified as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List. Typically found in freshwater habitats, moist forests, and wetlands.

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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