The Two-Colored Snail Mason Bee does not like all accommodations equally well. It prefers medium-sized snail shells; however, it often disdains the large shells of the Roman snail.
What do two-colored snail shell bees look like?
The two-colored snail shell bee is 8 to 10 mm long. Characteristic of the species is its namesake two-coloration: its head and thorax are black, while its abdomen is rust-red. It looks almost identical to the horned mason bee, but is usually a little smaller.
Flight time
March to July. One generation per year.
Food Preferences
The two-coloured snail-shell mason bee is not as picky about food as other wild bee species: It prefers various wild flower species native to Switzerland. However, it particularly likes legumes such as common bird's-foot trefoil, horseshoe vetch, and sainfoin.
Flight time
March to July. One generation per year.
Food Preferences
The two-coloured snail-shell mason bee is not as picky about food as other wild bee species: It prefers various wild flower species native to Switzerland. However, it particularly likes legumes such as common bird's-foot trefoil, horseshoe vetch, and sainfoin.
How do two-colored snail shell bees nest?
The two-colored snail shell mason bee is a squatter: It lays its eggs in empty snail shells, into which it has previously carried pollen and nectar – as provisions for its offspring. Once the egg is laid, the female seals the entrance with a self-made mortar of leaf pieces, earth, and small stones, and camouflages the shell with needles and blades of grass. It can take hours for a pile of needles or grass, about the size of a fist, to cover the nest. The industrious wild bee builds up to seven such nests in its entire life.
Wild Bees in Switzerland: The Two-Coloured Snail-Shell Bee
