Megachile

Subgenus Leptorachis Mitchell, 1 species

Megachilidae: Megachile petulans Cresson

County Records: Alachua, Duval, Indian River, Jefferson, Lee, Leon, Levy, Miami-Dade, Putnam, St. Johns, Volusia, Walton, probably throughout Florida.

megpet.gif (17501 bytes)

Locations: Austin Cary Memorial Forest, Goethe State Forest, Cross Creek, Cutler, Crescent Beach, DeFuniak Springs, Fort Myers, Gainesville, Hawthorne, Island Grove, Indian River, Jacksonville Beach, Kanapaha Prarie, Monticello, Ordway-Swisher Biological Station, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, Tall Timbers, Titusville, University of Florida Campus

Dates: April - November

Plants: Polylectic, but especially Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae; Bidens alba, Bidens laevis, Coreopsis lanceolata, Gaillardia pulchella, Helianthus annuus, Helianthius debilis, Melanthera nivea, Mimosa strigillosa, Ocimum kilimandscharicum x basilicum, Phaseolus lunatus, Pityopsis graminifolia, Verbena brasiliensis, Vitex agnus-castus

Notes: Occurs in SE USA, up to N. Jersey, coastal plain species. Subgenus is primarily neotropical in distribution. Observed to nest in ground.

Female

Meg pet F dorhab
Meg pet F face
Meg pet F mandclyp
Meg pet F mandclyp
megpetmandible.GIF (372876 bytes)
Meg pet F vertscut
Meg pet F petio
Meg pet F abddor
Meg pet F termdor
Meg pet F term
Meg pet F lathab
Meg pet F genapleur
Meg pet F proplat
Meg pet F abdlat
Meg pet F termlat
megpets6side.GIF (340375 bytes)
Meg pet F venthab
Meg pet F headvent
Meg pet F headthorvent
Meg pet F stern
Meg pet F termvent
Meg pet F wings

Male

Meg pet M dorhab
megpetface.GIF (343051 bytes)
Meg pet M face
Meg pet M mandclyp
Meg pet M vertscut
Meg pet M petio
Meg pet M abddor
Meg pet M abddor 2
megpetabdtop.GIF (401296 bytes)
Meg pet M termdor
Meg pet M lathab
Meg pet M lathab
Meg pet M genapleur
Meg pet M abdlat
Meg pet M venthab
Meg pet M headvent
Meg pet M headthorvent
Meg pet M stern
Meg pet M term
Meg pet M genarmdor