HYMENOPTERA > APOCRITA | Aculeata > APOIDEA > Megachilidae

Megachile centuncularis is a widespread species in southern Britain from mid-June to early September when it can be found in a variety of both inland and coastal habitats. It is also one of the most frequent leafcutters to visit gardens. Females could be confused with a couple of other species, but have the pollen brush orange all the way to the tip and extending up the sides of the tergites to produce an orange halo around the abdomen in dorsal view. Males can be a bit trickier to identify. Nesting occurs in dead wood, cavities in walls and other man-made objects, including bee hotels, and occasionally in the soil or hollow twigs/stems.