Alfalfa leafcutter bee
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| Alfalfa Leafcutter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Megachile rotundata Fabricius, 1787 |
The Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee (megachile rotundata) is a species of bee cultured solely for pollination purposes. As a solitary but gregarious bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa seed, carrot seed, and some other vegetables.
External links
- Effectiveness of the alfalfa leafcutter bee as a pollinator of legume forage crops (http://www.actahort.org/books/288/288_25.htm) (ISHS membership required)
- How To Manage Alfalfa Leaf Cutting Bees for Wild Blueberry Pollination (http://wildblueberries.maine.edu/FactSheets/300.htm)