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First female red mason bee of the year
Lord Vetinari
Registered Users Posts: 15,900 Major grins
in Holy Macro
Was lucky enough to hear and then see the first female red mason bee emerging from my bee hotel. The males emerged a couple of weeks before this and hang around waiting for this event. The female was the instantly grabbed by a male and mating ensued.
Brian V.
1
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Great series Brian.
Paul.
Link to my personal website: http://www.pauliddon.co.uk
Thanks Paul.
Good to hear from you.
Brian V.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
great series indeed...
Are there other females in the hive & do they all get impregnated?
Thanks Rags
Technically these are a solitary species so they do not live in a hive. The Hotel is a series of bamboo tubes where the females lay their eggs with some food provisions and then die. The next year the males emerge first and then the females a few weeks later. The females get impregnated in most cases straight away. The males die off and the females start the cycle over again.
Brian V.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/lordv/
http://www.lordv.smugmug.com/
Thanks... I learned something today... a good start...