Osmia lignaria laboratory rearing protocol v1

Our protocol was designed to rear Osmia lignaria Say (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) from immature stages to adult emergence following their natural phenology in northern Utah. Many aspects of the bee's biology can be analyzed using this protocol, including ecology, genetics, microbiome, pathology, toxicology, and pollinator management. An individual bee can be observed as a response to a treatment group, and its development and survival can be measured. The interaction of various stressors can help define synergistic, antagonistic, and additive effects, including acute, sublethal, and chronic treatment responses. Osmia lignaria was used as a model to rear solitary bees in a laboratory setting.