Subject: Leaf cutter bee in AZ
Location: Phoenix, AZ
May 31, 2013 1:16 pm
I found this bee nesting in a crack of my window and foolishly killed it thinking it was going to sting me. I pulled out the dead bee and its little leaf nest and decided to look it up online and found out it is either a mason bee or a leaf cutter bee. I live in Phoenix, AZ and I could not find any pictures of native leaf cutter bees that looked liked this one. The closest ones I found were species from Africa or the Middle East.
Could you please tell me if that is what this is?
Signature: Daniel Mistrot
Hi Daniel,
We are more generalists here at What’s That Bug? than we are specificists when it comes to identifications. We aren’t qualified to take this Leaf-Cutter Bee in the family Megachilidae to the species level. Your photo is a nice documentation of the adult imago, larva and nest. Leaf-Cutter Bees frequently nest in sash windows. We are sad you were frightened of the bee and ended its life and we hope you will be more tolerant in the future. Leaf-Cutter Bees are not aggressive.
I have the same thing making nests in ac drip lines and costing me money as they plug them up.
Found the very same brown looking cones.
Then found other others with fresh green leaves.
The lines are just over 1/4 inch inside.
I have the same thing making nests in ac drip lines and costing me money as they plug them up.
Found the very same brown looking cones.
Then found other others with fresh green leaves.
The lines are just over 1/4 inch inside.
Yep they are plugging my drip lines in phoenix 2014. Get me every year!
I use a shop Vac outside and such them out!
Yep they are plugging my drip lines in phoenix 2014. Get me every year!
I use a shop Vac outside and such them out!
I found some in my beach towel I left on my porch. I put them in a mesh bag. How do I take care of them?