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Bee ID?

 
Posts: 57
Location: Richmond, VA, USA Zone 7b
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I snapped this photo last week because I thought it was cute seeing these little critters sleeping in the curl of a leaf on my peach tree.

I did notice that there were some circular cuts on other leaves indicitave of leaf cutting species.

Googling wasn't much help identifying what species they are.

I haven't seen them again yet.

I'm in Richmond, VA
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I feel you are right that they are a leaf cutter bee.

Those also look like the bee that stung me recently.  The wound is slowly healing and itches like crazy.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megachile

If you want to encourage them you can build a shelter as the one mason bees use. Or just furnish lots of leaves and twigs and water.
 
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The two facing each other look like males to me possibly Paper wasp or miner bees.  They will take shelter over night in curled leaves.  The black bug on the stem in the foreground looks about the right size and shape for a leaf cutter bee.   Miner bees build their solitary nests in sandy soil.  They and leaf cutters work in hot weather after mason bees are finished. Paper wasps have open hexagon cells and feed their larval from soft bodied insects.
 
Brent Bowden
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Hans Quistorff wrote:The two facing each other look like males to me possibly Paper wasp or miner bees.  They will take shelter over night in curled leaves.  The black bug on the stem in the foreground looks about the right size and shape for a leaf cutter bee.   Miner bees build their solitary nests in sandy soil.  They and leaf cutters work in hot weather after mason bees are finished. Paper wasps have open hexagon cells and feed their larval from soft bodied insects.



Ah HA! Thanks! Mining/ miner bees is getting good look-alikes on google images. Being males could account for the glossier look and smaller size too. They definitely didn't have the paper wasp shaped abdomen. The other bug, was actually just a fly, hahaha.

Thanks!
 
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