Megachile: Leafcutter Bees

bees · insects · builders · pollination

Master leaf cutters. Megachile bees use their strong jaws to slice perfect circles and ovals from leaves and flower petals. They're like tiny gardeners with scissors, snipping exactly what they need.

Built-in blueprints. These bees roll up their leaf pieces like tiny burritos and stack them inside hollow stems or tunnels to create safe nurseries for their eggs. Each chamber is lined with leaf pieces to protect the developing baby bee.

Found everywhere. With more than 1500 different species, leafcutter bees live on almost every continent. They're one of the biggest bee families in the world.

Helpful to farmers. Some leafcutter bees, like the alfalfa leafcutter bee, are so good at pollinating crops that farmers actually raise them on purpose. Humans have moved these helpful bees to different countries to help grow more food.

Solitary builders. Unlike honeybees that live in colonies, leafcutter bees are loners. Each female builds and tends her own nest without help from other bees.