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

Species Megachile parallela

Gray bee on goldenrod - Megachile parallela - female Bluff bee 1 - Megachile parallela possibly sweat bee number 2 - Megachile parallela Green-eyed Bee - Megachile parallela - male Which yellow eyed Megachile? - Megachile parallela Pointy-tipped Leafcutter Bee - Megachile parallela Megachile parallela? - Megachile parallela - female Female Leafcutter Bee - Megachile parallela - female
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 Argyropile)
Species parallela (Megachile parallela)
Size
Female 13-14 mm, male 12-13 mm
Identification
"The female of M. parallela is distinct, and can be recognized by apex of S6, which has a bare, slightly upturned rim projecting slightly beyond the dense fringe of short, dark hairs."(1) [this character also present in other species in the subgenus]
Range
British Columbia to Mexico, east to North Dakota, Indiana, North Carolina and Florida.
Season
June to September.
Food
The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images. Pollen specialist on Asteraceae.
Works Cited
1.Leafcutter and Mason Bees of the Genus Megachile Latreille (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) in Canada and Alaska
Sheffield, Cory S. et al. 2011. Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification.