Megachile apicalis

Spinola, 1808

Megachile apicalis is a solitary leaf-cutter in the Megachilidae, first described by Spinola in 1808. It is native to Europe and the Mediterranean region, with introduced established in North America. Research on this has examined relationships between female body size and components including , size, and nest usurpation .

Megachile apicalis by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory. Used under a Public domain license.

Megachile apicalis, f, left, Yolo Co., CA, 2019-03-21 by United States Geological Survey. Used under a Public domain license.

Megachile apicalis, female, right side 2012-07-16-17.28 (48760447832) by Yellowstone National Park. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megachile apicalis: //ˌmɛɡəˈkaɪli əˌpɪˈkælɪs//

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Images

Habitat

Artificial nesting sites in field settings have been used to study this , suggesting it occupies environments where such nesting opportunities exist. As a leaf-cutter , it likely requires access to vegetation for leaf material collection and suitable cavities for nest construction.

Distribution

Native to Europe and the Mediterranean region. Introduced to North America, where it has been reported. GBIF records indicate presence in Africa, Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China), with distribution records noting presence in Africa and Europe/Northern Asia.

Behavior

Females exhibit nest usurpation , with larger females demonstrating greater capacity to usurp nests than smaller females. Larger females produce faster and achieve greater realized .

More Details

Female size-fitness relationships

Research has documented that female body size significantly affects multiple components: (larger females produce more offspring), size (larger females lay larger eggs), investment per progeny (larger females invest more per offspring as measured by weight), and competitive ability (larger females are more successful at nest usurpation). However, female size does not significantly affect longevity or sex ratio of progeny.