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FAMILY MEGACHILIDAE - Leafcutter Bees and Resin Bees
Leafcutter bees are common in Brisbane gardens. They are solitary bees. They are visitors of different flowering plants. They have long tongues which allow them to reach the nectar in tubular flowers. Of course they feed on shallow flowers as well.
Sometimes we find circular holes in soft-leaved plants, these are made by the female Leafcutter Bee which uses the leaf to build her nest. Resin Bee female usually builds nest in existing cavity. She builds nest by resin, gum or mud.
Leafcutter Bee usually has relatively flat abdomen while Resin Bee has long cylindrical abdomen.
Both Leafcutter Bee and Resin Bee females provide eggs with pollen and nectar.
The eggs hatch and will eat the pollen and nectar before pupating.
- Leafcutter Bee
- Megachile sp. body length 15mm
- We sometimes find the bee on flower during summer. The bee has a relatively flat body. Its thorax and head are hairy. The top of abdomen is smooth, with white and black striped colour. The abdomen bottom is bright yellow in colour.
- Sometimes we find circular holes in soft-leaved plants, these are made by the female Leafcutter Bee which uses the leaf to build her nest.
- Fire-tailed Resin Bee
- Megachile mystaceana (Chalicodoma mystaceana), body length 15mm
- The above photo was taken in late afternoon in Wishart Bushland during late summer. Fire-tailed Resin Bee has black head and thorax. Its abdomen is distinctively bright, orange-brown in colour. This is a solitary bee and build nest by resin, gum or mud in enclosed spaces such as space between folds of fabric and old Mud-Dauber Wasp nest. They will nest in drilled wooden blocks too.
- This bee likes to visit flowers of family Fabaceae.
