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 Megachiloides (Megachile Subgenus Megachiloides)
Megachile sp. - Megachile -  Angeles Crest, ~7000 ft., San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles County, California, USA
September 1, 2005
Size: ~14mm
On Chrysothamnus nauseosus. Not sure what species, but perhaps interesting to note that some Megachile are used as the major pollinators of Alfalfa. Some gardeners, not appreciating the cookie-cutter aesthetics of these hymenopterans, may consider them pests. I'm partisan to 'wild' gardening and glad about the increase in biodiversity in my garden in the last 27 years.
Images of this individual: tag all
   Contributed by Hartmut Wisch on 5 September, 2005 - 1:53pm Last updated 8 November, 2009 - 10:29pm |
