|
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) Genus Megachile - Leafcutter and Resin Bees
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)
Other Common Names Leaf-cutter Bee, Mortar or Dauber Bee (for Old World taxa), Wall Bee
Explanation of Names Megachile Latreille 1802 +'large jaws'
Numbers ~130 spp. in 16 subgenera in our area, 1520 spp. in 56 subgenera worldwide (1)
Size Typically 7-9 mm, a few to 12 mm or larger (2)
Food Polylectic, that is larvae feed on wide variety of pollens.
Life Cycle The cut leaves from these bees serve as protective plugs within the underground nests. (4)
Most nest in pre-existent holes in wood. Female typically cuts neat, more-or-less round pieces out of leaves to serve as separators between cells of nest:
Remarks The males of most species have enlarged light-colored front legs with a fringe of hairs and with odor glands. They use these features during mating. They partially cover the female's eyes with the hairy legs and the odor glands are placed close to the female's antennae. These adaptations resemble those of some carpenter bees and sphecid wasps. ( Wittmann & Blochtein 1995)
See Also Coelioxys--tapered abdomen, lacks pollen basket underneath
Print References Mitchell, TB. 1980. A generic revision of the megachiline bees of the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Contributions of the Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA 95 pp.
Works Cited 3. | The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees. Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia J. Messinger Carril. 2015. Princeton University Press. | |
Contributed by Richard Leung on 8 October, 2004 - 10:44pm Additional contributions by cotinis, john and jane balaban, Beatriz Moisset, Lynette Elliott, John S. Ascher, v belov, Harsi S. Parker, KenW, Marci Hess, Arturo Santos, Nathaniel GreenLast updated 11 September, 2023 - 9:32am |
|
|
|