Megachile rotundata
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Megachile rotundata, the alfalfa leafcutting bee, is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables, and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use M. rotundata as a pollination aid by distributing M. rotundata prepupae around their crops. Each female constructs and provisions her own nest, which is built in old trees or log tunnels. Being a leafcutter bee, these nests are lined with cut leaves. These bees feed on pollen and nectar and display sexual dimorphism. This species has been known to bite and sting, but it poses no overall danger unless it is threatened or harmed, and its sting has been described as half as painful as a honey bee's.
Megachile rotundata is a member of the subfamily Megachilinae, which includes more than 4,000 bee species; this currently makes this family the second-largest among all bee families. This subfamily is one of four other subfamilies of Megachilidae, the other three being the Fideliinae, Pararhophitinae, and Lithurginae. Phylogenetic studies suggest... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santiago | 🇨🇱 Chile | |
| 2 | Montreal | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 3 | Boston | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 4 | Toronto | 🇨🇦 Canada | |
| 5 | Minneapolis [Saint Paul] | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 6 | Philadelphia | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 7 | New York City | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 8 | Denver | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 9 | Chicago | 🇺🇸 United States |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee sighting in Denver on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 414th most-seen of the 461 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
Any time of year
In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report an Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee in Denver on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.
8th of 9
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee sightings, Denver ranks 8th at under 5%. The best odds are in Santiago (Chile, about 10%), Montreal (Canada, under 5%) and Boston (United States, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Alfalfa Leafcutter Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Denver (5 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
