Leaf-cutter Bee

A leaf-cutter bee, Megachile centuncularis, seen at Chipchase Nursery today. It is about the same size as a worker honey bee but is hairier. It is a solitary bee so the female forages for pollen and nectar and builds the nest and lays the eggs. She has pollen baskets on the side of her abdomen, whereas they are on the hind legs of the honey bee. The larvae pupate in the autumn and hibernate over winter before emerging in the spring.

The photo below shows what I think is a male Megachile willughbiella, another leaf-cutter, seen in my garden last summer.  It has amazing white tufts on its front legs.  Like male bumblebees, male leaf-cutters have to forage for themselves (male honey bees are fed by the workers in the hive).