Megachilidae is a cosmopolitan family of mostly solitary bees. Characteristic traits of this family are the restriction of their pollen-carrying structure to the ventral surface of the abdomen, and their typically elongated labrum. Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutter bees, reflecting the materials from which they build their nest cells ; a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees, while others use plant resins in nest construction and are correspondingly called resin bees. All species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are kleptoparasites, feeding on pollen collected by other megachilid bees. Parasitic species do not possess scopae. The motion of Megachilidae in the reproductive structures of flowers is energetic and swimming-like; this agitation releases large amounts of pollen.
Megachile pluto, also known as Wallace's giant bee or raja ofu, is a large resin bee found in Indonesia. With a wingspan of 63.5 mm (2.5 in) it is the largest known living bee species. It was believed to be extinct until several specimens were discovered in 1981. No further sightings were confirmed until two specimens were collected and sold on eBay in 2018. A live female was found and filmed for the first time in 2019.
The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, often called leafcutter bees or leafcutting bees; it also includes the called resin bees and mortar bees. While other genera within the family Megachilidae may chew leaves or petals into fragments to build their nests, certain species within Megachile neatly cut pieces of leaves or petals, hence their common name. This is one of the largest genera of bees, with more than 1500 species in over 50 subgenera. The alfalfa leafcutter bee is managed on a commercial scale for crop pollination, and has been introduced by humans to various regions around the world.
Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell (1866–1948) was an entomologist and systematic biologist who published nearly 4,000 papers, some of them only a few lines long. Cockerell's speciality was the insect order Hymenoptera, an area of study where he described specimens from the United States, the West Indies, Honduras, the Philippines, Africa, and Asia. Cockerell named at least 5,500 species and varieties of bees and almost 150 genera and subgenera, representing over a quarter of all species of bees known during his lifetime. In addition to his extensive studies of bees, he published papers on scale insects, slugs, moths, fish scales, fungi, roses and other flowers, mollusks, and a wide variety of other plants and animals.
Megachile campanulae, known as the bellflower resin bee, is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. Described in 1903, these solitary bees are native to eastern North America. Studies in 2013 placed them among the first insect species to use synthetic materials for making nests. They are considered mason bees, which is a common descriptor of bees in several families, including Megachilidae. Within the genus Megachile, frequently also referred to as leafcutter bees, M. campanulae is a member of the subgenus Chelostomoides, which do not construct nests from cut leaves, but rather from plant resins and other materials. Females lay eggs in nests constructed with individual cell compartments for each egg. Once hatched, the eggs progress through larval stages and subsequently will overwinter as pupae. The bees are susceptible to parasitism from several other bee species, which act as brood parasites. They are medium-sized bees and the female adults are typically larger than the males. They are important pollinators of numerous native plant species throughout their range.
Megachile angelarum is a species of bee in the Megachilidae family.
Megachile cypricola is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Mavromoustakis in 1938. This species has not been observed since 1950, and may be extinct.
Megachile gentilis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Cresson in 1872.
Megachile leachella, also known as the silvery leafcutter bee, is a species of solitary bee in the family Megachilidae. This species is widely distributed in the Western Palaearctic region from Southern Fennoscandia to North Africa and the Middle East, however the precise boundaries of the species range is not fully understood. The species was described by John Curtis in 1828.
Megachile policaris is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Thomas Say in 1831.
Megachile rubi is a species of leaf cutting bee in the family Megachilidae, found in the eastern United States. First described by Mitchell in 1924, it is placed in the subgenus Xeromegachile, members of which are most often found in sandy areas and have distinct preferences in the petals and leaves they use in their nests.
Megachile venusta is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Smith in 1853.
Megachile versicolor is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Smith in 1844.
Megachile centuncularis, commonly known as the patchwork leafcutter bee, is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was first described by the Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in 1758.
Megachile oenotherae is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Mitchell in 1924.
Megachile parietina is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Geoffroy in 1785. It is native to most of central Europe, as well as parts of eastern Europe.
Megachile umatillensis is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by Mitchell in 1927.
Megachile willughbiella, Willughby's leaf-cutter bee is a species of bee in the family Megachilidae. It was described by the English entomologist William Kirby in 1802; he named it in honour of the ornithologist Francis Willughby.
Callomegachile is a subgenus of the bee genus Megachile in the family Megachilidae.
