Thistle-associated
Guides
Megachile montivaga
Silver-tailed Petalcutter, Silver-tailed Petal-cutter Bee, Mégachile des collines
Megachile montivaga is a solitary leafcutter bee in the family Megachilidae, described by Cresson in 1878. It is notable for its unusual nesting behavior in live thistle plants (Cirsium neomexicanum), representing the first explicit Nearctic record of the genus Megachile nesting in live vegetation. The species is widespread across North and Middle America and is commonly known as the silver-tailed petalcutter bee.
Pegomya carduorum
Pegomya carduorum is a species of root-maggot fly in the family Anthomyiidae, described by Huckett in 1939. The species epithet 'carduorum' suggests an association with thistles (Carduus), though specific host relationships remain poorly documented. Like other Pegomya species, the larvae likely develop as root or stem miners. Adult flies are small, inconspicuous, and rarely encountered except by specialist collectors.