Wild bees (and some wasps) of Toronto

Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their role in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the European honey bee, for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea and are presently considered a clade, called Anthophila. There are nearly 20,000 known species of bees in seven recognized biological families. They are found on every continent except Antarctica, in every habitat on... less ↑

Halictus ligatus is a species of sweat bee from the family Halictidae, characterized by those bees that mine or burrow into the ground to create their nests. Moreover, As a member of the Halictidae, H. ligatus is commonly categorized a sweat bee due to its attraction to the salts of human perspiration. H. ligatus, like Lasioglossum zephyrum, is a primitively eusocial bee species, for which aggression is one of the most influential behavioral attitudes for less ↑

Xylocopa virginica, more commonly known as the eastern carpenter bee, extends through the Eastern United States and into Canada. They nest in various types of wood and eat pollen and nectar. The eastern carpenter bee is similar to most other bee species in that it does not have a queen; in Xylocopa virginica, dominant females are responsible for reproduction, foraging, and nest construction, though they may sometimes have help from their daughters. Xylocopa virginic 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 ↑

Bombus affinis, commonly known as the rusty patched bumble bee, is a species of bumblebee endemic to North America. Its historical range in North America has been throughout the east and upper Midwest of the United States, north to Ontario, Canada, where it is considered a "species at risk", east to Quebec, south to Georgia, and west to the Dakotas. Its numbers have declined in 87% of its historical habitat range. On January 10, 2017, the... 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 ↑