Megachilidae: Leafcutter Bees (Megachile)
categories: Bees Megachilidae Pollinators
last review date: 2025-06-17 01:47
Photo by: D. James
Biology
Leafcutter bees are solitary bees, and as their name suggests, cut 0.25-0.5 inch circular pieces of leaves or petals from which to construct their brood cells in rotting wood, stems and soil.
They construct cigar-like nests that contain several cells. Each cell contains a ball of stored pollen and a single egg and therefore produces a single bee.
Leafcutter bees are moderate to large bees (0.4-0.8 inches long) with about 140 species in North America. The females carry pollen on a patch of dry hair on the underside of the abdomen.
Chemical Management
IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.
- None recommended
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