Megachile

The genus Megachile is a large group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees. These bees are found all over the world. Some of these bees cut neat pieces of leaves or petals, which gives them their name.

This is one of the largest bee groups, with many different types. One special species, the alfalfa leafcutter bee (Megachile rotundata), helps plants grow. People use these bees to help pollinate crops, and they have been moved to many parts of the world for this important work.

Ecology

Megachile bees, often called leafcutter bees, build their nests in hollow twigs or burrows in the ground. Inside these nests, they make cells. Each cell has an egg and food, usually pollen mixed with nectar. After laying an egg, the female seals the cell. The baby bee, called a larva, eats the food, grows, and becomes a cocoon. After resting, it becomes an adult bee.

Some Megachile bees cut pieces of leaves to line their nest cells. Others use dry plant resin instead of leaves. These bees are interesting because some species were the first insects known to use human-made materials to build their nests.

Diversity

The group Megachile has many different types. It has 56 smaller groups and 1,520 known species. Some well-known smaller groups are Callomegachile, Chalicodoma, and Chelostomoides.

Famous species in this group include Megachile albisecta, Megachile aurifrons (the red-eyed bee), Megachile campanulae (the bellflower resin bee), Megachile erythropyga, Megachile fidelis (the faithful leafcutting bee), Megachile nigrovittata, Megachile perihirta (the western leafcutting bee), Megachile pluto (the largest bee in the world), Megachile rotundata (the alfalfa leafcutter bee), Megachile rubi, Megachile sculpturalis (the giant resin bee), and Megachile texana (the Texas leafcutter bee). You can see the full list of Megachile species here.