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- Also called:
- leaf-cutting bee
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leaf-cutter bee
Leaf-cutter bee (Megachile species) with a piece of leaf.
leaf-cutter bee, (family Megachilidae), any of a group of bees (order Hymenoptera), particularly genus Megachile, that differ from most other bees in that they collect pollen on their abdomens rather than on their hind legs. The solitary female, after mating, makes a nest in soil, a hollow plant stalk, or a cavity in wood, lining it with pieces of green leaf to envelop the brood. She obtains these pieces of leaves by standing on a leaf and cutting carefully around herself, leaving an almost circular hole at the leaf’s edge. Different species of leaf-cutters prefer different plant species.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.
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