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Re: Osima Bees

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

----- Original Message -----
From: Ward Griffiths <wdg3rd@home.com>
To: Square Foot Gardening List <sqft@listbot.com>
Sent: Saturday, October 23, 1999 8:42 PM
Subject: Re: Osima Bees


> Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
> Technically, these have to be called "stingless wasps" rather than
> bees, despite the superficial resemblance.  This does not prevent
> them from being useful.  Bumblebees are also technically wasps as
> well (big fat wasps).
>
> Sorry, every now and then I get picky.  It isn't a bee unless it's
> part of an organized colony.  This leaves out several things
> occasionally mistaken for bees.  But Osima are less organized than
> (for instance) paper wasps and yellowjackets.
>
    Interesting definition and not one I had heard before.   And I
believe Osmia and bumblebees are bees, not wasps.
    From entomology we learn that bees are a large group of insects
forming the superfamily Apoidea of the order Hymenoptera.  Their chief
distinguishing features are coorelated with their habit of obtaining
pollen and nectar from flowers.  The family includes solitary bees and
social bees.  Most bees are solitary.  The bee superfamily has many
families and subfamilies.  One of the better known families is Apidae
with subfamilies Bumblebees (Bombinae), Orchid Bees (Euglossinae) and
Honeybees (Apinae).  Taxonomically, Osmia is considered a bee but maybe
not as well known as the others.
    Wasps are also order Hymenoptera but are classed as families
Sphecidae and Vespidae.  Like bees, some are solitary and some are
social.  But unlike bees, most are predatory.

Olin


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