Wild bees (and some wasps) of Toronto

Megachile rotundata, the alfalfa leafcutter bee or leafcutter bee is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use M. rotundata as a pollination aid by distributing M. rotundata prepupae around their crops. Each female will construct less ↑

Megachile sculpturalis, known as the giant resin bee, has a size between 1⁄2 and 1 in (13 and 25 mm). It is much bigger than most other leafcutting bees. Native to Japan and China, it has been introduced to the Eastern United States and Ontario, Canada in recent times, and recorded as invasive in Europe in 2009. It is mainly black with brownish yellow hairs. They are known to use cavities belonging to carpenter bees to make their... less ↑

Megachile rotundata, the alfalfa leafcutter bee or leafcutter bee is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use M. rotundata as a pollination aid by distributing M. rotundata prepupae around their crops. Each female will construct less ↑