Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Megachile pugnata - Pugnacious Leafcutter Bee

Leaf Cutter Bee-Megachilidae - Megachile pugnata - female Little bee, bad photos! - Megachile pugnata bee - Megachile pugnata - male Pugnacious Leaf-cutter Bee - Megachile pugnata - female Megachile pugnata - Pugnacious Leaf-cutter Bee - Megachile pugnata Megachile pugnata (male)? - Megachile pugnata - male Yellow-faced bee - Megachile pugnata Megachile pugnata? - Megachile pugnata - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)
Family Megachilidae (Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies)
Subfamily Megachilinae (Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, Sharptail, Mason, and Woolcarder bees and relatives)
Tribe Megachilini (Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, and Sharptail bees)
Genus Megachile (Leafcutter and Resin Bees)
No Taxon (Subgenus Sayapis)
Species pugnata (Pugnacious Leafcutter Bee)
Other Common Names
Sunflower Leaf-cutter Bee
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
=scobiculata, bucephala, disparilis, lucrosa, temporalis
Explanation of Names
Author: Say, 1837
Size
Female: 12-18 mm. Male 11-13 mm.
Identification
In the female the clypeus is shortened and thickened producing a vertical face.
Range
most of NA north to LB-NW-BC south to GA-TX-CA(1)
Season
Jun-Sep(1)
Food
Visits flowers from several families, pollen specialist on Asteraceae. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.