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Solitary leafcutter bee

  • 04-07-2011 1:40pm
    #1
    Zzippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,166 ✭✭✭✭


    I was doing a bit of gardening the other day and noticed a very dark coloured bee bringing a bit of a leaf back to my shed, where it crawled into a tiny space where a board has cracked. Have seen it a few times since, it seems to have nested in the inside of the cracked board. Did a google search and pretty certain its a solitary leafcutter bee, which I had never heard of before, but there's not much more info on them, or their status in Ireland.

    Anyone know how common these are here? Was pretty cool to see it nesting in/on my shed... :D


Comments

  • #2
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    The usual description is "Common and widespread throughout Ireland in June and July". It's the female who cuts the neat leaves to build the nest.

    That said, I'd bet most people don't even know if they have seen one.


  • #3
    fryup
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 18,067 ✭✭✭✭fryup


    also known as the mason bee because of the "secret handshake" they give to each other


  • #4
    ytpe2r5bxkn0c1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 32,688 ✭✭✭✭ytpe2r5bxkn0c1


    They are both of the family Megachilidae. But Mason Bees are so called because of their habit of making compartments of mud in their nests unlike the leafcutter.


  • #5
    Zzippy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 14,166 ✭✭✭✭Zzippy


    Bodie Shrilling Slime wrote: »
    The usual description is "Common and widespread throughout Ireland in June and July". It's the female who cuts the neat leaves to build the nest.

    That said, I'd bet most people don't even know if they have seen one.

    Cheers. Was in the garden for a few minutes this morning and noticed a few leaves on a Pyracanthus that had been neatly trimmed by the bee, with a semi-circular chunk missing. Also have many bumblebee and honeybee visitors to the flowers, great to see the honeybees anyway.


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