Willughby's Leaf-cutter Bee
Megachile willughbiella
The Willughby's Leaf-cutter Bee is a medium-sized solitary wild bee within the Megachilidae family. It is widespread across Central Europe and inhabits various environments ranging from gardens to forest edges. It is characterized by its nesting method of using precisely cut leaf fragments from plants like roses or beeches to line cavities. It is an efficient pollinator and frequently utilizes artificial nesting aids.
Details
Identification
Females feature a reddish-yellow ventral brush (scopa) with black hairs at the tip; males have characteristically widened, pale front legs.
Social behavior
Solitary lifestyle; each female builds and provisions her own nest without help from conspecifics.
Diet
Polylectic; collects pollen from a variety of plant families, but prefers legumes (Fabaceae) and bellflowers (Campanulaceae).
Spawning substrate
Nests in above-ground cavities such as beetle burrows in dead wood, wall crevices, or hollow plant stems.
Overwintering
Overwinters as a resting larva (prepupa) in a cocoon within the nest chamber.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important pollinator for wild plants and crops in garden environments.
Natural predators
Cuckoo bees (e.g., Coelioxys elongata), parasitic wasps, and various insectivorous birds.
Competitor species
Other solitary bee species with similar nesting requirements.
Ecosystem service
Ensuring pollination and thus the reproduction of numerous plant species.
Threats
Lack of nesting sites due to excessive tidiness in gardens (removal of dead wood) and the use of pesticides.
Scientific profile
Profile
Distinguishing features
Females: Bicolored ventral scopa (red/black); anterior margin of clypeus straight. Males: First segment of the front tarsi strongly dilated, whitish-yellow and long-fringed (tarsal fans), used for cleaning antennae and likely for scent distribution during mating. Middle tarsi also modified.
Habitat
Forest edges, clearings, parks, gardens, structurally diverse open land, urban areas.
Protection & threats
Main threats
General decline in floral resources; lack of suitable nesting substrate (dead wood) in tidy landscapes and gardens.
Population trend
Stable; the species is considered widespread and common in Germany and Central Europe (Least Concern according to Red Lists).
Conservation measures
Preservation of dead wood structures; planting of native legumes; provision of nesting aids (6-8 mm drillings); avoidance of pesticides in gardens.