Species Megachile sculpturalis - Giant Resin Bee

14-24 mm

body cylindrical, 14-24 mm in length (longer than most bees in NA), females usually larger than males; head and abdomen black, thorax covered with dense yellowish-brown hairs, wings dark but transparent Mangum & Bambara

native to e. Asia, recently introduced to NA (Global map).

Eastern NA, more recently found also in California.

Jun-Sep in NC

"The female bee nests alone and begins by preparing a cell in an existing tube or narrow cavity, using resin and sap collected from trees. Other materials such as bits of rotten wood and mud are also used in nest construction. Next she collects pollen and carries it to the nest on the underside of her hairy abdomen.

After completing several pollen collecting trips, she lays an egg on the pollen ball in the cell. Then she seals it, and prepares another cell. Continuing in this fashion, one female can complete about 10 cells. If the entrance of the nesting tube is directly exposed to the outside, the tube may be noticeably sealed with a resin, wood and sometimes mud cap. After the eggs hatch, the larvae feed on the pollen and spend the winter within their cells. The larvae pupate in late spring and the adults emerge that summer. Mangum & Bambara

They are opportunistic and nest in existing wooden cavities, rather than excavating their own. Effectively pollinate kudzu, another invasive species.

Aggressive, it attacks other bees; it has been reported killing honey bees.

Fact sheets by Mangum & Bambara (NC), T.A. Dellinger (VA), Kondo et al. (AL)