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Australian Wildlife

  Leafcutter Bee (Megachile sp)





Leafcutter Bee | Megachile sp photo
A Leafcutter Bee has made a nest inside this gum nut. I noticed the bee flying out but wasn't quick enough to get a photo of it.

Photograph copyright: ozwildlife - all rights reserved. Used with permission.







LEAFCUTTER BEE FACTS

Identification
Leafcutter Bees are mainly black with white hairs. They cut oval pieces of leaves and put them in a crack or hole to make their nest. The cells in the nest are made of overlapping pieces of leaf capped with circular pieces. Cells are built in a row from the back of the hole to the front.

Size
10mm

Habitat
woodland and gardens. In gardens they often use leaves from roses, honeysuckle, Bauhinea.

Food
nectar and pollen



Classification
Class:Insecta
Order:Hymenoptera
Family:Megachilidae
Genus:Megachile
Species:sp
Common Name:Leafcutter Bee

Relatives in same Genus
  Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee (M. rotundata)