Leafcutter Bees

Megachile spp: 12-18mm, June-Sep

Have you ever noticed round sections cut out of leaves? You are a lucky one - the leafcutter bee has visited you. Females will cut round sections of leaves with their mandibles before bringing it back to their nesting sites where they use it to line the inside of their burrow. That could be constructed in dead wood. Since our gardens are too tidy and lack dead wood they are grateful for nesting aids. All are medium-sized to large species have a hairy face, thorax and abdomen. Females have dense coloured hairs on the underside of the abdomen which is used to carry pollen.

Patchwork Leafcutter Bee (Megachile centuncularis)

Coastal Leafcutter Bee (Megachile maritima)

Brown-footed Leafcutter Bee (Megachile versicolor)

Willughby's Leafcutter Bee (Megachile willughbiella)

Close holes with leaves

Mason Bees

Osmia: 7 - 12mm, April-July

Medium-sized to large species with a hairy thorax and abdomen. One species is historically native to Ireland (Osmia aurulenta), with another species (Osmia bicornis) recently becoming established since its introduction in 2003. In 2019, a third species (Osmia caerulescens) was discovered in Co. Down which was followed a year later by the discovery of another population in Co. Cork. Both populations appear to be established and have been observed breeding. Nesting typically occurs above ground and in the case of the latter two species in bee stones or bamboo too. Only Osmia aurulenta nests in old snail shells.

Gold-fringed Mason Bee (Osmia aurulenta) nest in old snail shells (Photo on top)

Blue Mason Bee (Osmia caerulescens) - plug is out of chewed leaves (Photo midle)

Red Mason Bee (Osmia bicornis) plugs the nest hole with mud (Photo bottom)

Close holes with mud

Yellow-face Bees

Genus Hylaeus: 4-4.5mm May-Sep 

What a look! The Yellow-face Bees  are typically small, predominantly black species with variable yellow markings in the facial area and sometimes on the legs or thorax. In most species, the male has much more yellow colouration than the female. Four species are found in Ireland, which typically fly from late spring to late summer, depending on the species. Nesting usually occurs in cavities above ground, such as old bramble or hogweed stems. Make sure you leave a few of those over winter if you tidy your garden a bit. The more we go back to the natural habitat the better,

Short-horned Yellow-faced Bee (Hylaeus brevicornis)

White-jawed Yellow-face Bee (Hylaeus confusus)

Common Yellow-face Bee (Hylaeus communis)

Hairy Yellow-face Bee (Hylaeus hyalinatus)

Cellophane-like plug