Osmia Babies

[The15thMember]

I've mentioned my native bee observation "hive" before, and this year I have some sort of leaf-chewing Osmia (mason bee) nesting in it, perhaps Osmia pumila, although without having seen the female I can't be sure.  This is the best view I've ever had of the actual larvae in the nest.  You can also see their neighbor, Mr. Earwig, who is often hanging around the empty tube above them, photobombing the picture. 

[BeeMaster2]

That is pretty neat. Are there entrances from both the left and right? It looks like they are developing from the middle out to both sides.
 Jim Altmiller

[The15thMember]

That is pretty neat. Are there entrances from both the left and right? It looks like they are developing from the middle out to both sides.
 Jim Altmiller

The only entrance is to the left.  To the right you can see some old leaves from a leafcutter who started a nest two years ago (I think) but didn't finish it.  Interestingly, this mason bee didn't seem to mind that old material that was left in there, she just started her first cell in front of the old leafcutter cell.