Megachile angelarum

Cockerell, 1902

angel of death bee

Megachile angelarum is a solitary cavity-nesting in the Megachilidae, first described by Cockerell in 1902. Unlike typical leafcutter bees in its , it does not cut leaves or petals for nest construction, instead using resin and gum. The is native to western North America, ranging from southern British Columbia to Baja California, with most records from California. Females construct individual nests in pre-existing cavities and are important native .

Megachile angelarum by (c) David Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by David Anderson. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megachile angelarum: /ˌmeɡəˈkaɪli ænˈdʒɛlərʊm/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Females distinguished from the similar Megachile campanulae by the presence of complete white fascia on T5 (absent in M. campanulae). Parallel-sided and lack of cutting edges on separate it from typical leafcutter bees. Abdominal scopa and deep grooves on T2-T4 provide additional diagnostic characters. Most reliably identified by the combination of white-banded abdomen and resin-collecting rather than leaf-cutting .

Images

Appearance

Medium-sized solitary with a parallel-sided metasoma (). Females possess complete white fasciae (bands) on tergites T1 through T5. The abdominal scopa—a dense brush of pollen-collecting hairs—is located on the underside of the abdomen. lack cutting edges, distinguishing it from leaf-cutting relatives. Deep grooves present on tergites T2 to T4. Female T6 has a distinct turned-up lip at the terminal end.

Habitat

Occupies diverse natural and anthropogenic landscapes including forests, grasslands, and urban areas. Nesting occurs in pre-existing cavities in wood, plant stems, and other sheltered locations. Has been observed in residential gardens and parks within its range.

Distribution

Western North America: southern British Columbia, Canada; California, Arizona, and New Mexico, United States; Baja California, Mexico. Most records concentrated in California. Range extends from southern British Columbia south to Tijuana.

Diet

feed on nectar; larvae provisioned with pollen collected on abdominal scopa. Specific plant associations not documented.

Life Cycle

Solitary development with no colony structure. Females independently construct nests in cavities, provision with pollen, and lay individual on pollen balls. Developmental stages include egg, larva, pupa, and ; specific timing undocumented.

Behavior

Cavity-nesting that collects resin and gum for nest construction rather than cutting leaves. Solitary foraging and nesting; females perform all -rearing tasks independently. No territorial or social documented.

Ecological Role

Native contributing to of wild plants within its range. Solitary lifestyle allows focused individual foraging activity.

Human Relevance

Occurs in urban gardens and parks, contributing to pollination services in anthropogenic landscapes. No documented economic use or management as crop .

Similar Taxa

Megachile campanulaeMost closely resembles M. angelarum in general ; females distinguished by absence of white fascia on T5
Megachile rotundataBoth in Megachile but M. rotundata is a leafcutter bee that cuts leaf pieces for nest construction, unlike resin-using M. angelarum

More Details

Nesting materials

Despite placement in the leafcutter bee Megachile, M. angelarum is one of several that have abandoned leaf-cutting in favor of resin collection. This represents a behavioral shift within the genus.

Taxonomic history

Described by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell in 1902 from southern California material. The specific epithet 'angelarum' references Los Angeles, not religious angels.