Trap-nest-species

Guides

• Megachile inermis

  Unarmed Leafcutter Bee

  Megachile inermis is a solitary leafcutter bee described by Provancher in 1888. Unlike many Megachile species that use pre-existing cavities, this bee excavates its own nesting tunnels in decayed poplar wood. It has been recorded from trap-nest studies in Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Wisconsin, with a notable male-biased sex ratio in rearings.

  leafcutter-beesolitary-beecavity-excavatorpoplar-associatedmale-biased-sex-ratiotrap-nest-speciesNorth-American-native-bee

• Trypoxylon californicum

  Trypoxylon californicum is a solitary spider-hunting wasp in the family Crabronidae, subgenus Trypargilum. Females nest in pre-existing cavities such as hollow twigs, beetle borings, or abandoned mud dauber nests, partitioning them into multiple cells provisioned with paralyzed spiders. Males actively guard nest entrances against parasites while females hunt, a behavior termed 'patriarchate' by naturalists. The species is found across western North America and has been successfully attracted to artificial trap nests.

  solitary-waspspider-huntercavity-nestermale-parental-caretrap-nest-species