Leafcutter Bee - Megachile texana

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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies (Megachilidae) » Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, Sharptail, Mason, and Woolcarder bees and relatives (Megachilinae) » Leafcutter, Resin, Mortar, and Sharptail bees (Megachilini) » Leafcutter and Resin Bees (Megachile) » Subgenus Litomegachile (Megachile Subgenus Litomegachile) » Texas Leaf-cutter Bee (Megachile texana)

Photo#1426701

Copyright © 2017 Jatai

Leafcutter Bee - Megachile texana -

Riverdale, Bronx County, New York, USA
August 19, 2017
Size: 12 mm

Is this Megachile brevis?

This is a 12 mm female leafcutter, with pale hairbands on T-1 through T-5. The bee has mandibles with 4 teeth, with two straight cutting edges (between the second and third; and third and fourth teeth). The scopal hairs on S-1 to S-5 are white (with black on S-6). There are pale bristles in the center of T-6. The profile of T-6 is concave, with an unmodified rim.

The bee was feeding on salvia, sneezewort and cosmos.

Images of this individual: tag all

Leafcutter Bee - Megachile texana - female

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Contributed by Jatai on 19 August, 2017 - 9:21pm
Last updated 20 August, 2017 - 12:22am

Moved

Moved from ID Request.

… John S. Ascher, 19 August, 2017 - 9:38pm

It does look like a Litomegachile

However, I think it could be texana. Are you certain there are no lateral black bristles on the metasoma? I think I can see some, and in brevis the hairs should be generally pale in the vicinity. Also 12 mm is way too big for brevis but consistent with texana. Finally, the line of white hairs along the scuto-scutellar boundary matches texans, not brevis

… John S. Ascher, 19 August, 2017 - 9:24pm

Megachile texana

Thanks for taking the trouble to give us so much information, and thanks for the ID.

… Jatai, 19 August, 2017 - 11:07pm

Litomegachile - Black bristles

We added two images showing black hairs on sides of abdomen.

… Jatai, 19 August, 2017 - 10:09pm

Litomegachile

We'll look for clearer images of lateral black bristles.

… Jatai, 19 August, 2017 - 9:29pm

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