Megachilidae
Male carder bee, Anthidium manicatum
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Subphylum: Hexapoda Class: Insecta Order: Hymenoptera Suborder: Apocrita Superfamily: Apoidea Family: Megachilidae
Subfamilies
Fideliinae Megachilinae Some of the genera Anthidium Coelioxys Heriades Hoplitis Megachile Osmia Stelis Image File history File links Anthidium_manicatum_male. ... For other uses, see Scientific classification (disambiguation). ... Animalia redirects here. ... Subphyla and Classes Subphylum Trilobitomorpha Trilobita - trilobites (extinct) Subphylum Chelicerata Arachnida - spiders,scorpions, etc. ... Classes & Orders Class Insecta (insects) Unplaced orders:    Order Diplura    Order Collembola (springtails)    Order Protura The subphylum Hexapoda constitutes the largest (in terms of number of species) grouping of arthropods and includes the insects as well as a few much smaller groups of wingless arthropods closely related to insects: Collembola, Protura... Orders See taxonomy Insects (Class Insecta) are a major group of arthropods and the most diverse group of animals on the Earth, with over a million described species — more than all other animal groups combined [1]. Insects may be found in nearly all environments on the planet, although only a... Suborders Apocrita Symphyta Many families, see article Hymenoptera is one of the larger orders of Insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. ... Superfamilies Apoidea Ceraphronoidea Chalcidoidea Chrysidoidea Cynipoidea Evanioidea Ichneumonoidea Megalyroidea Proctotrupoidea Sphecoidea Stephanoidea Triganalyoidea Vespoidea Many families, see article Apocrita is a suborder of insects in the order Hymenoptera. ... Families Andrenidae Anthophoridae Apidae Colletidae Ctenoplectridae Halictidae Heterogynaidae Megachilidae Melittidae Oxaeidae Sphecidae Stenotritidae This article is about the insect. ... subgenera many (>50) The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, and is the only genus within the family Megachilidae which truly deserves to be called leafcutter bees, as certain species of only this genus build their nest cells from neatly cut pieces of petals or leaves, this... Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) Mason bee is a general term for certain species of bees in the family Megachilidae, primarily the genus Osmia, such as the orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria), the blueberry bee (Osmia ribifloris), and the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons). ...

The Megachilidae are a cosmopolitan family of (mostly) solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structures (called scopae) are restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen (rather than on the hind legs like in all other bee families). Megachilid genera are most commonly known as mason bees and leafcutting bees, reflecting the materials they build their nest cells from (clay or leaves, respectively); a few collect plant or animal hairs and fibers, and are called carder bees. Most species feed on nectar and pollen, but a few are cleptoparasites (informally called "cuckoo bees"). Parasitic species do not possess a scopa. The brightly colored scopa leads to a colloquial name used occasionally in North America - "Jelly-belly bees." Megachilid bees are among the world's most efficient pollinators because of their energetic swimming-like motion in the reproductive structures of flowers, which moves pollen, as needed for pollination. Ironically, one of the reasons they are efficient pollinators is their frequency of visits to plants, but this is because they are extremely inefficient at gathering pollen; compared to all other bee families, megachilids require on average nearly ten times as many trips to flowers to gather sufficient resources to provision a single brood cell. A cosmopolitan distribution is a term applied to a biological category of living things meaning that this category can be found anywhere around the world. ... Families Andrenidae Apidae Colletidae Halictidae Megachilidae Melittidae Stenotritidae Bee collecting pollen Bees are flying insects, closely related to wasps and ants. ... Abdominal scopa of a Megachilid bee The term scopa is used to refer to any of a number of different modifications on the body of a bee that form a pollen-carrying apparatus. ... Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) Mason bee is a general term for species of bees such as the orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria) and the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons). ... Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding where one animal takes prey from another that has caught, killed, or otherwise prepared it, including stored food provisions, as in the case of cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs on the pollen masses made by other bees. ... A pollinator is the agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... A flower-fly pollinating a Common Daisy (Bellis perennis) Pollination is an important step in the reproduction of seed plants: the transfer of pollen grains (male gametes) to the plant carpel, the structure that contains the ovule (female gamete). ...

North America has many native Megachilid species, but Alfalfa leafcutter bees (Megachile rotundata) are an imported species used for pollination. The most significant native species is Osmia lignaria (the "Orchard Mason Bee" or "Blue Orchard Bee"), which is sold commercially for use in orchard crop pollination, and which can be attracted to nest in wooden blocks with holes drilled in them (which are also sold commercially for this purpose). Binomial name Megachile rotundata Fabricius, 1787 The Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee (megachile rotundata) is a species of bee cultured solely for pollination purposes. ... Pollination Management is the label for horticultural practices that accomplish or enhance pollination of a crop, to improve yield or quality, by understanding of the particular crops pollination needs, and by knowledgeable management of pollenizers, pollinators, and pollination conditions. ... Binomial name Osmia lignaria Say, 1837 The orchard mason bee, Osmia lignaria, is a megachilid bee that makes nests in reeds and natural holes, creating individual cells for their brood that are separated by mud dividers. ... Orchard Mason bee Bee that makes nests from mud and wax (to distinguis it from carpenter bees that make nest by drilling in wood and parisitic species that hibernate in other bees hives ) ... Orchard Mason bee Bee that makes nests from mud and wax (to distinguis it from carpenter bees that make nest by drilling in wood and parisitic species that hibernate in other bees hives ) ...

Life Cycle

Non-parasitic species

The general life cycle of non-parasitic Megachilidae is as follows (but see below for variations):

Nests are typically divided into cells, each cell receives a supply of food (pollen or a pollen/nectar mix) and an egg; after finding a suitable spot (often near where she emerged), a female starts building a first cell, stocks it, and oviposits. Then she builds a wall that separates the completed cell from the next one. The larva hatches from the egg and consumes the food supply. After moulting a few times, it spins a cocoon and pupates. Then it emerges from the nest as an adult. Males die shortly after mating, but females survive for another few weeks, during which they build new nests.

Variations:

• Nests are often (but not always) built in natural or artificial cavities. Some embed individual cells in a mass of clay or resin attached to a wall, rock surface, or plant stem.
• Nest cavities are often linear, for example in hollow plant stems, but not always (snail shells are used by some Osmia, and some species will readily use irregular cavities).

Parasitic species

Some genera of Megachilids are brood parasites and, therefore, have no ventral scopa (e.g. Stelis (Bee),Coelioxys). They often parasitize related taxa. They typically enter the nest before it is sealed and lay their eggs in a cell. After hatching, the parasite larva kills the host larva, unless the female parasite has already done so, and then consumes the provisions. Parasitic species are of equal size or smaller than their victims.

Genera of Megachilidae

A leaf-cutter bee showing abdominal scopa

• Anthidium are leaf-cutting bees who use conifer resin, plant hairs, earth, or a combination of these as material for the nest walls. Their abdominal bands are usually interrupted in the middle. Their claws have no lobe (arolia) which makes them unable to climb smooth (glass) walls. Anthidium manicatum (pictured) is commonly known as the Wool Carder Bee which uses comblike mandibles to "comb" plant fibers into its brood cell walls. It has spread from Europe to North and South America. The males are much larger (ca. 18 mm) than the females (ca.12 mm) which is not uncommon among Megachilidae, but very rare among other bee families (e.g., the true honey bees, genus Apis). The males also have three "thorns" at their abdominal apex which they use as weapons when defending their territory.
• Paranthidium
• Dianthidium
• Anthidiellum
• Trachusa
• Coelioxys are brood parasites of Megachile. Females have a pointed conic abdominal apex (tip), males have several spikes on their apex.
• Dioxys are brood parasites of Megachile, Anthidium and Osmia.
• Heriades are mason bees with narrow abdominal bands. They resemble small Osmia, but they are oligolectic (specialized on a few subfamilies of Asteraceae) and use resin from conifers, as well as plant fibers and sand, as cell wall material.
• Megachile are mostly leaf-cutters, but some are masons. In the former species the whole cell (not just the wall between cells) is made from leaf pieces. Their claws have no lobe (arolia) which makes them unable to climb smooth (glass) walls.
• Osmia are mason bees, they build their nests in natural or artificial cavities such as hollow plant stems, abandoned nests of wood-boring beetles or carpenter bees, or even snail shells. They do not excavate their own nests. The material used for the cell can be clay or chewed plant tissue. A few species are referred to as orchard mason bees.
• Ashmeadiella
• Hoplitis
• Stelis Panzer (and other related genera), or the stelidine bees, are cleptoparasites on other Megachilidae. They belong to the tribe Anthidiini.
• Heterostelis are parasitic on Trachusa.

Image File history File links Leaf-cutter-bee. ... Image File history File links Leaf-cutter-bee. ... The honeybee is a colonial insect that is often maintained, fed, and transported by farmers. ... subgenera many (>50) The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, and is the only genus within the family Megachilidae which truly deserves to be called leafcutter bees, as certain species of only this genus build their nest cells from neatly cut pieces of petals or leaves, this... subgenera many (>50) The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, and is the only genus within the family Megachilidae which truly deserves to be called leafcutter bees, as certain species of only this genus build their nest cells from neatly cut pieces of petals or leaves, this... Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) Mason bee is a general term for certain species of bees in the family Megachilidae, primarily the genus Osmia, such as the orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria), the blueberry bee (Osmia ribifloris), and the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons). ... Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) Mason bee is a general term for certain species of bees in the family Megachilidae, primarily the genus Osmia, such as the orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria), the blueberry bee (Osmia ribifloris), and the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons). ... The term oligolecty is used in pollination ecology to refer to bees that exhibit a narrow, specialized preference for pollen sources, typically to a single genus of flowering plants. ... Diversity About 1500 genera and 23,000 species Type Genus Aster L. Subfamilies Barnadesioideae Cichorioideae Tribe Arctotidae Tribe Cardueae Tribe Eremothamneae Tribe Lactuceae Tribe Liabeae Tribe Mutisieae Tribe Tarchonantheae Tribe Vernonieae Asteroideae Tribe Anthemideae Tribe Astereae Tribe Calenduleae Tribe Eupatorieae Tribe Gnaphalieae Tribe Helenieae Tribe Heliantheae Tribe Inuleae Tribe Plucheae... subgenera many (>50) The genus Megachile is a cosmopolitan group of solitary bees, and is the only genus within the family Megachilidae which truly deserves to be called leafcutter bees, as certain species of only this genus build their nest cells from neatly cut pieces of petals or leaves, this... Red Mason Bee (Osmia rufa) Mason bee is a general term for certain species of bees in the family Megachilidae, primarily the genus Osmia, such as the orchard mason bee (Osmia lignaria), the blueberry bee (Osmia ribifloris), and the hornfaced bee (Osmia cornifrons). ... Genera Many Carpenter bees (Xylocopinae subfamily) are important pollinators, especially of open-faced flowers, though the larger species are also known to rob nectar by boring holes in the sides of flowers with deep corollas (thus not accomplishing pollination). ... The name snail applies to most members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells. ... Orchard Mason bee Bee that makes nests from mud and wax (to distinguis it from carpenter bees that make nest by drilling in wood and parisitic species that hibernate in other bees hives ) ... Kleptoparasitism or cleptoparasitism (literally, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding where one animal takes prey from another that has caught, killed, or otherwise prepared it, including stored food provisions, as in the case of cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs on the pollen masses made by other bees. ...

Gallery

Carder Bee, Female Anthidium manicatum Photo: Bruce Marlin Image File history File links Anthidium_manicatum_fem. ...

Coelioxys, at Stuckey, South Carolina Coelioxys - a megachilid bee Image copyleft: Image taken by me, released under GFDL Pollinator 13:22, Sep 23, 2004 (UTC) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

Osmia ribifloris Download high resolution version (640x946, 180 KB)This bee, Osmia ribifloris (on a barberry flower), is an effective pollinator of commercial blueberries and is one of several relatives of the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria. ... Blueberry bee Blueberry bee (Osmia ribifloris) is native to the coastal mountains of southern California. ...

Leaves showing cuts by a Leafcutter Bee Evidence of Leafcutting on Redbud Image copyleft: Image taken by me, released under GFDL Pollinator 03:33, Nov 9, 2004 (UTC) ( ) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...

See also http://www.bugguide.net (Search for Megachilidae, North America only)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Megachilidae

• Wool Carder Bee Diagnostic photographs: Male, female specimens; mated pair, descriptions and taxonomy.
• Photos of orchard mason bees
• Managing megachilid bees for blueberry pollination
• The Leafcutter and the Cuckoo Images and video of a Cuckoo Bee laying in the nest of a Leafcutting Bee.