Bee-utiful: Rare Solitary Bee Makes its Home in a Flower Nest

It’s not every day that I read about an animal that really, i mean really, blows my mind. But today I have found one that I’m dying to share with you all. This is Osmia avoseta, a solitary bee recently discovered in the Middle East that has some crazy construction skills: it builds its home out of flower petals which it forms into a cocoon-like dwelling for its larvae.

Two days goes into creating the nest, as the mother bee bites off flower petals and flies them back to the nest, one at a time, where she then begins molding them into a cozy home using nectar as glue. Once the structure is complete, she uses mud to line the inside of the flower-house before covering that, too, in flower petals. She’s quite careful not to miss a spot!

These little half-an-inch chambers only house one egg, so the mother typically creates around 10; usually right next to one another. The momma bee will collect nectar and pollen and store it in her digestive tract until she flies back to the nest and plops it at the bottom. The egg is then laid on top of the yummy mixture for baby to enjoy.

How incredible is this rare creature? Its craftsmanship is unparalleled in my opinion.