The mason and leafcutting bees belong to the Megachilidae, a family of common long "tongued" bees in the US that are quite gentle, medium-sized bees that can be managed for pollination by both the homeowner and the commercial farmer. They are quite unique in that the pollen collecting hairs (scopa) are located on the underside of the abdomen. The family name refers to the large toothed mandible that they possess, especially adapted for excavating and hollowing out twigs for nesting and also for collecting and shaping mud (the mason bees) and leaves or flower petals (the leafcutting bees) to provide domiciles for the development of their young within the hollowed twigs and natural cavities (wood boring beetle tunnels, wood pecker strikes, etc.) within trees, logs, and sides of buildings. A few species nest in the soil. These bees are mostly solitary, a few are kleptoparasitic (eggs laid in another's nest and larvae steal food at the expense of the nest bee's daughter larvae). The non-parasitic species have been shown to be excellent pollinators. Most are generalists and will visit and pollinate many species of plants, while some of these bee species have a narrow plant range and visit only a few plant species even when many plant species are in bloom in the same location (alfalfa leafcutting bee, Maine blueberry bee).
- Frank Drummond, University of Maine
Bee Informed Partnership