Sculptured Resin Bee

Megachile sculpturalis

Classification

Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Megachilini
Genus: Megachile
Species: sculpturalis

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Megachile sculpturalis: /ˌmɛɡəˈkaɪli skʌlpˈtjʊərəlɪs/

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

Images

Megachile sculpturalis female by Ismael Hinojosa-Díaz. Used under a CC BY 3.0 license.

Megachile sculpturalis Du 3 by Danilo Ugrnov. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Megachile sculpturalis Du 2 by Danilo Ugrnov. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Megachile sculpturalis Du 1 by Danilo Ugrnov. Used under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Megachile sculpturalis by John Baker. Used under a CC BY 2.0 license.

Tortonia Megachile-sculpturalis BMOC-96-0916-315 by Photo by Pavel Klimov, Bee Mite ID (idtools.org/id/mites/beemites) unless otherwise stated in description.. Used under a Public domain license.

Summary

Megachile sculpturalis, or the sculptured resin bee, is a large leafcutting bee native to East Asia, now found in the Eastern United States and Ontario. Recognized for its unique nesting behavior and role in pollination, it is distinguished by its size and distinctive coloration.

Physical Characteristics

Body cylindrical, 14-24 mm in length; females larger than males; head and abdomen black; thorax covered with dense yellowish-brown hairs; wings dark but transparent. Males 19–22 mm and females 21–25 mm. Males have truncated, squared abdomen; females' abdomen is tapered and pointed.

Identification Tips

Distinguished by larger size compared to most leafcutting bees, with black head and abdomen, and dense yellowish-brown thorax. Females have four dentate mandibles, and males possess a squared abdomen.

Habitat

Nests in existing wooden cavities, often around wooden structures such as doors, decks, and porches, particularly utilizing cavities belonging to carpenter bees.

Distribution

Native to Japan and China; introduced to Eastern United States and Ontario, Canada; first reported in the U.S. in the early 1990s and to Europe in 2009.

Diet

Collects pollen from various floral hosts including Lathyrus latifolius and Sophora japonica (Fabaceae), Pycnanthemum species (Lamiaceae), Lythrum salicaria (Lythraceae), Koelreuteria paniculata (Sapindaceae), and Buddleia species (Scrophulariaceae).

Life Cycle

Adult bees are active from June to September. Females prepare nests, collect pollen on the abdomen, lay eggs, cap cells with resin, and larvae overwinter inside cells feeding on pollen before pupating in spring and emerging in summer.

Reproduction

Solitary reproduction. The female prepares individual cells for nesting and lays one egg per pollen ball in each cell.

Ecosystem Role

Opportunistically pollinates various plants, including kudzu, an invasive species.

Misconceptions

Larger related species exist, making the name 'Giant Asian Resin Bee' misleading.