[6] Females of Osmia nigriventris will use their specialized mandibles to excavate nests in wooden substrate such as the thick tree bark of Larix or Pinus species.

[3] It is believed that O. nigriventris requires two years to reach maturity in subalpine zones and that the species overwinters as a prepupa during its first winter.

It can be found living in North America, where it is present in the states of Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, Michigan[5] and Minnesota.

In Europe populations are present in Austria, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Switzerland and European Russia.

[3] The bee has a preference for flowers from the families Fabaceae (Lotus), Ericaceae (Rhododendron and Vaccinium) and Cistaceae (Helianthemum).