LEAF-CUTTER BEE

also called Leaf-cutting Bee, any of the insects in the family Megachilidae (order Hymenoptera), particularly certain species in the genus Megachile. Leaf-cutter bees differ from related species in that they collect pollen on their abdomens rather than on their hind legs. The solitary female, having mated with the male, makes a nest in soil, a hollow plant stalk, or a cavity in wood, lining it with pieces of green leaf to envelop the brood. She obtains these pieces by standing on a leaf and cutting carefully around herself, leaving an almost circular hole at the growing leaf's edge. The foliage of rose bushes is favoured by some leaf-cutter species.