Genetic diversity populations of the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria, in eastern and western North America

The blue orchard bee (Osmia lignaria) is a native pollinator that is an excellent candidate to supplement the honeybee in agricultural settings. Genetic diversity of wild-caught bees from several locations in eastern and western USA is being measured with mitochondrial and nuclear DNA segments. There appears to be only a small amount of diversity that is unique to eastern populations. A divergent mtDNA clade has been recovered that is restricted to the mountain west. To date the bees that have been most expansively employed for pollination have originated from the populations showing the greatest genetic diversity.