Leaf-cutting bees. Who knew?

Bees are of great environmental and economic importance because of their contributions to pollination.  But it is not just the veritable honey bee that plays a significant role in both aspects.  There are a host of other bee species, many of them solitary, that are equally important.  Mason bees, carpenter bees, mining bees, sweat bees, and resin bees all throw their lot into the part of pollinator.  One that \i had not heard of, and didn't actually photograph until recently, was leaf-cutting bees.

After examining my photograph on the computer, I initially believed the insect to be another fine example of a flowerfly, otherwise called hover flies.  However, it didn't have two important features common to such insects; there were long, thin antennae and no halteres.  The absence of halteres must mean that it is not a fly, and close inspection of the wings led me to discover that there are, in fact, two pairs of wings and not just one as found in dipterans.  This must be a bee, a member of the Hymenoptera.

It took a few minutes of searching through my various insect books (yes, I have quite a few of them) and on line before I could safely say that it was a leaf-cutter bee.  I didn't even know they were a thing, and yet, here was one that I photographed.  As Spock would say, "Fascinating."

Leaf-cutting bees are solitary insects that are important pollinators in their own right.  The females will cut a circular disc out of a deciduous leaf and line a cell with it.  The cells are often made in rotting wood.  After several leaves have been used to line the cell, the bee will deposit pollen and an egg.  The egg hatches and consumes the pollen while safely encased in the leaf sanctuary.  After pupating, the newly emerged adult will overwinter in place, and then excavate themselves from their ensconcement to renew the cycle of life.

Have a look at the photo below (taken from this website).  Who knew?

Thanks for reading.

Eric Svendsen     www.ericspix.com