Coast Leafcutter Bee

Appearance

''Megachile maritima'' can reach a body length of about 9–10.5 mm, with a wing length of about 10 mm. Head and thorax of these robust, very large leaf-cutters bees are generally black, thickly and minutely punctured and rather hairy. Mandible are very large, with four terminal teeth. Antennae are filiform. The oblong-quadrate abdomen is covered with reddish hairs in fresh individuals, but in older specimen it turns to silvery black. Wings are transparent, darkened at the apex. Hind tibiae and tarsi are strongly swollen. Males have whitish and strongly expanded front tarsi and bushy hair on the front feet.

Distribution

This species is present in most of Europe, in the East Palaearctic realm and in the Oriental realm.

Behavior

Adults of this univoltine species fly from June to mid-August. They are used to collect pollen from flowers of ''Campanula trachelium'', ''Centaurea nigra'', ''Cirsium vulgare'', ''Echium vulgare'', ''Erica'' species, ''Eryngium maritimum'', ''Heracleum sphondylium'', ''Lotus corniculatus'', ''Lotus pedunculatus'', ''Ononis'' species, ''Reseda'' species, ''Rubus fruticosus'' and ''Senecio'' species.

Habitat

These leaf-cutter bees can be found on lowland heaths and on chalk grassland, but they mainly occur on the coast , on coastal dunes with light, sandy soil and on soft-rock cliffs.

Reproduction

The nest is usually excavated in the ground and the cells are made with cut sections of green leaves obtained from various plants.

Predators

This species appears to be parasitized by ''Coelioxys conoidea'' and ''Coelioxys mandibularis''.