Megachilid
Guides
Anthidiellum notatum
Northern Rotund-Resin Bee
Anthidiellum notatum, commonly known as the northern rotund-resin bee, is a solitary bee in the family Megachilidae. It is distributed across North America, with five recognized subspecies showing regional variation. As a member of the tribe Anthidiini, it belongs to a group commonly called resin bees for their use of plant resins in nest construction.
Anthidium emarginatum
Emarginated Carder Bee
Anthidium emarginatum is a species of solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Emarginated Carder Bee. First described by Thomas Say in 1824, this species belongs to the genus Anthidium, which includes bees known for collecting plant fibers (carding) to line their nest cells. The species is native to North America.
Anthidium oblongatum
oblong woolcarder bee
Anthidium oblongatum is a solitary bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the oblong woolcarder bee. Native to Eurasia and North Africa, it has been introduced to North America and South America, with a first record in central Chile documented in 2025. Females construct nests using plant fibers collected from leaves, earning the 'woolcarder' common name. The species shows strong floral specialization, primarily foraging on Fabaceae, Crassulaceae, and Resedaceae.
Dianthidium pudicum pudicum
Dianthidium pudicum pudicum is a subspecies of resin bee in the family Megachilidae. Like other members of the genus Dianthidium, it constructs nests using plant resins, creating distinctive resin plugs and partitions within pre-existing cavities such as hollow twigs or beetle borings. The subspecies was described by Cresson in 1879 and occurs in North America.
Dianthidium simile
Northeastern Pebble Bee
Dianthidium simile is a solitary bee species in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the Northeastern Pebble Bee. It belongs to a group of bees known as resin bees, mason bees, and leafcutter bees, reflecting the diverse nesting materials used by members of this family. The species is native to North America, with confirmed records from the northeastern United States including Vermont. Like other Dianthidium species, it constructs nests using plant resins and other materials, and is subject to parasitism by specialized wasps such as leucospids.
Lithurgopsis apicalis
orange-tipped woodborer
Lithurgopsis apicalis is a solitary woodborer bee in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as the orange-tipped woodborer. Adults are active pollinators that visit flowers of several plant families, particularly Cactaceae, Malvaceae, and Asteraceae. The species nests in the hollow stalks of Agave plants, where females excavate tunnels and provision cells with pollen. It occurs across the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Osmia lignaria propinqua
Western Blue Orchard Bee, Blue Orchard Bee, BOB
Osmia lignaria propinqua is a solitary, cavity-nesting mason bee native to western North America, commonly known as the Western Blue Orchard Bee or BOB. It is a subspecies of the blue orchard bee and is valued as a highly efficient pollinator of early-blooming fruit trees including almonds, cherries, apples, and plums. Females carry dry pollen on the scopa (hairs) beneath the abdomen rather than on leg baskets, and they forage at lower temperatures and for more hours than honey bees. The species is managed commercially in orchards, where it is often deployed alongside honey bees to improve cross-pollination through its tendency to move between trees rather than forage systematically on single plants.
Paranthidium
Paranthidium is a genus of bees in the family Megachilidae, tribe Anthidiini, established by Cockerell & Cockerell in 1901. The genus contains seven described species distributed in North and Central America. Members are solitary bees that construct nests using collected materials. Little is known about the biology of most species, with P. jugatorium being the most frequently observed and studied.
Paranthidium jugatorium lepidum
Southeastern Sunflower Burrowing-Resin Bee
Paranthidium jugatorium lepidum is a subspecies of resin bee in the family Megachilidae. It is recognized by the common name "Southeastern Sunflower Burrowing-Resin Bee" and is distributed across central and western Mexico. As a member of the genus Paranthidium, it is presumed to construct nests using plant resins and to exhibit solitary nesting behavior. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within the broader species P. jugatorium.
Stelis coarctatus
Compressed Dark Bee
Stelis coarctatus is a North American species of cleptoparasitic bee in the family Megachilidae. As a member of the genus Stelis, it is a cuckoo bee that lays eggs in the nests of other bees, typically megachilid hosts. The species was described by Crawford in 1916 and has been recorded from Vermont in the northeastern United States. Like other Stelis species, it lacks pollen-collecting structures and depends entirely on host provisions for its offspring.
Stelis lateralis
Spot-sided Dark Bee
Stelis lateralis is a species of cuckoo bee in the family Megachilidae. As a member of the genus Stelis, it is a cleptoparasite that lays eggs in the nests of other bees, particularly megachilids. The species occurs in Central America and North America. Two subspecies are recognized: Stelis lateralis lateralis and Stelis lateralis permaculata.