Leaf Cutter Bee (Megachile centuncularis)

Leaf Cutter Bee (Megachile centuncularis), a photo by Peter Orchard on Flickr.

This is a bee I am very fond of; sadly my wife, who is the gardener, is not quite so keen.

Not only is it an attractive little package in appearance (well I think so anyway) it is a fascinating insect to watch as it brings pieces of leaf and drags them in to the end of garden bamboo canes where it is making its nest. Each leaf taken in forms the basis of a sausage shaped egg cell. The problem is, they have a liking for rose leaves for this purpose and can take chunks out of several leaves as they go about making a home for their little ones.

You can't claim to have a wildlife garden on the one hand and then complain about a few rose leaves being taken away and put to good use on the other. As a result, we gladly tolerate them, indeed we both actually welcome them they are lovely little B's