Photo: Line Sabroe / CC BY 2.0
Megachile willughbiella
Willughby's Leafcutter Bee
A common medium-sized leafcutter bee (11–13 mm) with a black body, dense brownish hair on the thorax, and a pale orange ventral scopa. It nests either in self-dug burrows in soil or in cavities in wood, constructing brood cells from cut leaves. It has a preference for Campanulaceae (bellflowers) in addition to Asteraceae and Fabaceae. In Switzerland it is widespread in gardens, parks, woodland edges, and brownfield sites from lowlands to montane elevations. Swiss Red List: Least Concern (LC).
Species Facts
- Size
- 11–13 mm
- Flight Period
- June to August
- Nesting
- Ground
- Specialization
- Generalist
- Abundance
- Common
- Family
- Megachilidae
External Sources
This data has been cross-referenced with national sources:
Data Source & Copyright
| Category | Source / Author | License |
|---|---|---|
| Photo | Line Sabroe | CC BY 2.0 |
| Taxonomy & Distribution | InfoFauna Switzerland | Public data |
| Global Distribution | GBIF | CC BY 4.0 |
Data Quality
High Quality Last audit: 2026-05-22
Completeness: 100%
✓Photo exists✓Traits consistent✓Description quality✓Red List referenced✓Attribution verified
Confidence: 67%
IdentifiabilityMediumImage confidenceMediumImage qualityHighTrait coherenceHigh
