Woolly Wall Bee
Megachile lanata
Woolly Wall Bee
Megachile lanata
The woolly leafcutter bee (Megachile lanata) is a large, solitary bee commonly seen in Barbados and across the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Megachilidae and is named for its dense, wool-like body hairs.
Females are about 21 mm long, with males slightly smaller. The bee has a black body covered in yellowish-brown to orange hairs, especially around the face. Its translucent wings extend beyond the abdomen, and females carry pollen on a white, woolly scopa on the underside of the abdomen rather than on the legs.
Megachile lanata nests alone in natural or man-made cavities, using cut leaves to construct nest cells. It is polylectic, foraging on a wide variety of flowering plants, and thrives in grasslands, gardens, orchards, and urban areas.
Originally native to Africa and South Asia, this species was introduced to the Caribbean several centuries ago and is now well established. In Barbados, it is an important pollinator, particularly of leguminous plants such as Crotalaria.
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Megachilidae
Genus: Megachile
Species: M. lanata
Binomial name: Megachile lanata
Megachile lanata
The woolly leafcutter bee (Megachile lanata) is a large, solitary bee commonly seen in Barbados and across the Caribbean. It belongs to the family Megachilidae and is named for its dense, wool-like body hairs.
Females are about 21 mm long, with males slightly smaller. The bee has a black body covered in yellowish-brown to orange hairs, especially around the face. Its translucent wings extend beyond the abdomen, and females carry pollen on a white, woolly scopa on the underside of the abdomen rather than on the legs.
Megachile lanata nests alone in natural or man-made cavities, using cut leaves to construct nest cells. It is polylectic, foraging on a wide variety of flowering plants, and thrives in grasslands, gardens, orchards, and urban areas.
Originally native to Africa and South Asia, this species was introduced to the Caribbean several centuries ago and is now well established. In Barbados, it is an important pollinator, particularly of leguminous plants such as Crotalaria.
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Megachilidae
Genus: Megachile
Species: M. lanata
Binomial name: Megachile lanata
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