Western Leafcutter Bee
Megachile perihirta
This record describes Megachile perihirta (species). Recorded family: Megachilidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Megachile perihirta: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachile_perihirta.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Trigonaloidea
- Family
- Megachilidae (Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies)
- Subfamily
- Megachilinae
- Tribe
- Megachilini
- Genus
- Megachile (Leafcutter and Resin Bees)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Primarily western Discover Life Map
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Visits flowers from several families. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: The name "perihirta" refers to the large extent of hairs and common names have been coined to reflect this. However, the common name "Western Leafcutter" is now in use and may be preferred because this is one of the most conspicuous native leafcutters in Western North America, especially along the Pacific Coast. NNot to be confused with the Western Resin Bee, i.e. Megachile occidentalis.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Megachile perihirta. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Western Leafcutter Bee (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Hartmut Wisch; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , John S. Ascher , hg , PaleoJon