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Species Account for Megachile leachella

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Megachile leachella  Curtis, 1828
Silvery Leaf-cutter Bee
Aculeata: Megachilinae

 
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Taxonomic group: bees and wasps (Aculeata) - County data

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Status: Nb

Records: 236
First Record: 1986
Latest Record: 2024

1992-on hectads: 20
Pre-1992 hectads: 1
Total hectads: 20

Additional Phenology Data

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Species text
The Silvery Leaf-cutter Bee Megachile leachella (=dorsalis) is principally restricted to coastal sites in southern England as well as a coastal site in South Wales. Only two modern inland sites are known. In Essex it is widely distributed along the East Thames Corridor, although some sites have already been lost and others are highly threatened. It is a local species, which is not infrequent on some stretches of the south coast. The bee is closely associated with the wind-blown sands of coastal dunes, where it normally frequents the mid dunes and requires warm, sunny, areas such as south-facing slopes and sheltered slacks for nesting. Its inland sites are dry, sandy, heathland and sand quarries, where it probably requires rather loose sand, possibly that associated with fairly regular disturbance. Nesting occurs in dry, sandy soils in areas fully exposed to the sun. Aggregated nesting has been noted abroad, but this has not been observed in Britain, even at its strongholds. Nesting typically occurs at the base of grass tussocks. Cells are constructed from leaf sections of various plants and even the yellow petals of Lotus corniculatus. References

Species text last edited on Tue Mar 20th 2007 by user 3

Habitats

Broad Habitat Data (based on 92 records with habitat information)

no subhabitat data available

Structural Habitat Data (based on 67 records with structural habitat information)

Habitat Detail and Method (based on 236 records with habitat detail and method information)

Recorded management for locations with Megachile leachella

Recorded substrate and hydrology for locations with Megachile leachella

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