Top Results for Megachile

Megachile rotundata, commonly known as the alfalfa leafcutter bee, is a solitary bee native to Eurasia. It’s notable for its effectiveness in pollinating alfalfa and other legume crops, particularly during seed production. This managed species is frequently utilized by commercial growers seeking imp...

The Sunflower Leafcutter Bee is a solitary insect species native to North America, scientifically classified as Megachile pugnata. As their name suggests, females construct their nesting cavities by cutting and arranging pieces of leaves. They are particularly recognized for their effectiveness as p...

The Bellflower Resin Bee (Megachile campanulae) is a solitary bee species belonging to the family Megachilidae, native to North America. Unlike typical leafcutter bees in the genus Megachile, M. campanulae constructs its nest cells using plant resins and flower petals rather than pieces of cut leave...

Megachile fidelis, commonly known as the faithful leafcutting bee, is a solitary bee species native to meadows and gardens across western North America. First formally described by entomologist Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1878, the insect is distinguishable by its dark coloring and the females' practic...

Megachile centuncularis, commonly known as the patchwork leafcutter bee, is a solitary bee species widely distributed across Europe. Females use their mandibles to cut neat, circular pieces from leaves, including those of roses, to construct and line their individual nest cells. As a member of the f...

Megachile willughbiella, commonly known as Willughby's leafcutter bee, is a widespread solitary bee species native to Europe and parts of Asia. Females are distinguished by their behavior of cutting neat, circular fragments from leaves, particularly roses, which they use to line and partition their...

Megachile xylocopoides, commonly known as the carpenter-mimic leafcutter bee, is a solitary hymenopteran native to eastern North America. It is notable for its Batesian mimicry, having evolved a striking physical resemblance to large carpenter bees in order to deter predators. Like other leafcutter...

The Pugnacious Leafcutter Bee (Megachile pugnata) is a solitary pollinator native to North America, known for its distinctive nesting behavior. Females use their mandibles to cut neatly rounded fragments from leaves, which they use to line and partition their nests in pre-existing holes in wood or t...

Megachile lapponica is a species of leafcutter bee found across northern Europe and northern Asia, first described by Swedish entomologist Carl Gustaf Thomson in 1872. Like other members of the genus Megachile, females construct nest cells using pieces of leaves or petals, which they cut with their...

Megachile parietina is a large solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, native to parts of Europe and western Asia. Females construct exposed clusters of hard nest cells on rocks, stones, or walls, using a mortar made from soil or mineral particles mixed with saliva rather than nesting in existing c...

Megachile lagopoda is a species of solitary leafcutter bee belonging to the family Megachilidae. It is widely distributed across the Palearctic realm, encompassing regions of Europe and Asia. The species is physically distinguished by the males' notably enlarged front legs, which are covered in dens...

Megachile campanulae is a solitary resin bee native to North America belonging to the Megachilidae family. Unlike typical leafcutter bees, this species is distinguished by its use of sticky plant resins to construct and seal its nest cells. Females typically build their nests in pre-existing cavitie...

Megachile ericetorum is a species of solitary leafcutter bee native to Europe. As a member of the genus Megachile, the female bee uses her mandibles to cut pieces of leaves or flower petals, which she carries back to her nest cavity. The bee uses these plant fragments, occasionally combined with mud...

The Furry Leafcutter Bee, scientifically known as Megachile perihirta, is a solitary bee species endemic to western North America. It is physically characterized by its dense, hairy appearance and its unique reproductive behavior. Females use their mandibles to cut neat, circular pieces from leaves,...

Megachile ligniseca is a solitary leafcutter bee species found across Europe and parts of Asia. As suggested by its Latin name meaning 'wood-digger,' this species is notable for the females' behavior of excavating nesting tunnels in dead or decaying wood, unlike many other Megachile species that use...

Megachile leachella, commonly known as the silvery leafcutter bee, is a solitary insect native to Europe, first described by the English entomologist John Curtis in 1828. As a member of the Megachile genus, the female bee is known for cutting neatly rounded pieces from leaves to construct and line t...

Megachile versicolor is a solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, recorded across much of Europe. Females construct nests in existing cavities and line individual brood cells with pieces cut from leaves, rather than using the leaves as food. Like other leafcutter bees, it carries pollen...

Megachile maritima is a Palearctic species of solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, first described by William Kirby in 1802. It occurs in coastal and other sandy habitats, where females construct individual nests rather than living in eusocial colonies. Like other members of its genus...

Megachile circumcincta is a solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, distributed across parts of the Palearctic region. William Kirby formally described the species in 1802. Like other members of Megachile, females carry pollen on specialized hairs beneath the abdomen rather than on the h...

Megachile coquilletti is a solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae; the species is also called Coquillett's leafcutter bee. Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell described it in 1915 from a type specimen collected in Los Angeles County, California. Females of this group nest in cavities and use c...

"Megachile relativa" is a solitary leafcutter bee native to North America and belongs to the family Megachilidae. Like other leafcutter bees, females use their mandibles to cut circular pieces of leaves and petals, which they use to line and construct their nesting cavities. The species is recognize...

Megachile pugnata is a solitary leafcutter bee native to North America and a member of the family Megachilidae. Females construct nests in existing cavities and divide them into brood cells using pieces of leaves or other plant material. The species collects pollen on hairs beneath the abdomen and f...

Megachile petulans is a small solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, found primarily in southern North America and extending into parts of the Midwest and Northeast. It is a cavity-nesting species; females use cut leaf pieces, chewed vegetation, and soil particles to divide nests into b...

Megachile brevis is a solitary leafcutter bee native to North America and a member of the family Megachilidae. Females construct and provision their own nests, lining brood cells with pieces of leaves that they cut and carry with their mandibles. The species forages from multiple kinds of flowering...

Megachile xylocopoides is a species of leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly called the carpenter-mimic leafcutter bee. Its dark, robust appearance can resemble a carpenter bee, which explains the common name, but it belongs to Megachile rather than Xylocopa. The species was described...

Megachile mendica, commonly called the Flat-tailed Leafcutter Bee, is a solitary leafcutter bee native to North America. Females use their mandibles to cut pieces of leaves and other plant material, which they carry to a nest and shape into partitions or linings for brood cells. Unlike honey bees, t...

Megachile analis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae, within the genus that includes leafcutter and resin bees. It was described by Nylander in 1852, and European conservation data list it as Data Deficient; EUNIS reports no established common name and only limited species information. Av...

Megachile sicula is a species of solitary leafcutter bee originally native to the Mediterranean region. The insect is notable among entomologists for its documented range expansion into Northern Europe, where it has been observed establishing new populations. Like other bees in the genus Megachile,...

Megachile texana is a species of solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly called the Texas leafcutter bee. Ezra Townsend Cresson described it in 1878 from Texas, which is reflected in the species name and taxonomic authority. As a Megachile, it belongs to a group whose females carry pollen...