Blue Mason Bee vs Plum Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Blue Mason Bee Plum Sawfly
Scientific Name Osmia caerulescens Hoplocampa flava
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Megachilidae Tenthredinidae
Size 7-10 mm 4-6 mm
Habitat Gardens Orchards
Diet Nectar Feeders Fruit Feeders
Regions Western Europe, Central Europe, Southern Europe Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Blue Mason Bee

A small, metallic blue-black solitary bee that nests in pre-existing cavities in wood and walls. It is common in gardens and readily uses artificial bee hotels.

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Did You Know?

Females seal each egg cell with chewed leaf material mixed with mud.

Plum Sawfly

A small, yellowish-brown sawfly that is a pest of plum orchards. Larvae bore into developing plum fruitlets, causing them to drop prematurely.

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Did You Know?

Larvae can be detected by their distinctive wet frass, which oozes from entry holes in young plum fruitlets.