Small Scissor Bee

Small Scissor Bee

Chelostoma campanularum

Daily sighting probability <5% · Rare
at Toronto

In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%

16 Verified sightings at Toronto
June Best month

About the Small Scissor Bee

Chelostoma campanularum, or the harebell carpenter bee, is a species of hymenopteran in the family Megachilidae. It is found in Europe and Northern Asia (excluding China) and North America. The bee is small and black (6-7mm) with a single flight period from mid-June to mid-August. The male has a two-pronged peg on the final segment of the abdomen and the female has snow white pollen collecting hairs on the underside. It is most easily seen on Bellflowers (Campanula species) and Sheep's bit.

To collect the pollen the female brushes the hairs on the underside of her abdomen on to the pollen using her back legs and using her front legs and mandibles to grip on to the anthers of the flower. The males can often be found in the same flower. Mating takes place in the flowers.

In order to encourage the bee, naturalists plant a variety of Bellflower species and provide dry reed stems that the bees use as nesting sites. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 London 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
<5%
2 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Small Scissor Bee in Toronto?

Rare

Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Small Scissor Bee sighting in Toronto on a given day, based on 16 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 828th most-seen of the 1689 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.

When is the best time to see a Small Scissor Bee in Toronto?

Any time of year

In every month with enough records, under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Small Scissor Bee in Toronto on a given day, so our monthly data shows no clear season.

Is Toronto the best place to see a Small Scissor Bee?

Among the best

Of the 2 cities where we can rate Small Scissor Bee sightings, Toronto ranks 2nd at under 5%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in London (United Kingdom, under 5%).

Where does the Small Scissor Bee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Small Scissor Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Toronto (16 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.

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