Photo: Reinhold Möller (Ermell) / CC BY-SA 4.0

Megachile versicolor

Brown-footed Leafcutter Bee

A medium-sized leafcutter bee (10–12 mm) with a black body, dense brownish hair on the thorax, and a white ventral scopa tinged brownish. Females have distinctly pale brown tarsi, giving the species its common name. It nests in pre-existing cavities in dead wood, hollow stems, and fence posts, constructing brood cells from neatly cut oval leaf pieces. It is polylectic, visiting Asteraceae and Fabaceae flowers including thistles, bird's-foot-trefoil, and bramble. In Switzerland it occurs in gardens, woodland edges, ruderal areas, and vineyards from lowlands to montane elevations. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).