Megachile inimica

Cresson, 1872

hostile leaf-cutter bee

Species Guides

Megachile inimica is a solitary in the Megachilidae, described by Ezra Townsend Cresson in 1872. It is native to southern North America and Central America. As a member of the Megachile, it likely exhibits the characteristic of cutting leaf fragments to line its nest cavities, though specific behavioral details for this remain poorly documented.

Megachile inimica sayi by (c) Don Loarie, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Don Loarie. Used under a CC-BY license.

Megachile inimica female sunflower by Beatriz Moisset. Used under a CC BY-SA 4.0 license.

Megachile inimica, m, side, Dorchester Co, MD 2015-12-08-13.17 (35923046651) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megachile inimica: /ˌmɛɡəˈkaɪli ɪˈnɪmɪkə/

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

Identification

Specific diagnostic features distinguishing Megachile inimica from are not well documented in available sources. As with other Megachile , females carry pollen on scopal hairs located on the surface of the rather than on the hind legs. The specific epithet "inimica" (Latin for "hostile") may refer to behavioral or morphological characteristics, though the original description's reasoning is not preserved in cited sources.

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Distribution

Native to North and Central America. Documented occurrences include Mexico, Guatemala, and the southern United States. GBIF records indicate presence in Middle America and North America.

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Etymology

The specific epithet "inimica" derives from Latin, meaning "hostile" or "unfriendly." The "hostile leaf-cutter " reflects this translation. The reason for Cresson's choice of this epithet in the 1872 description is not preserved in available sources.