Originally from eastern Asia, the giant resin bee, Megachile sculptural (Smith) (Figure 1), was accidentally introduced into the United States in the 1990s. It is considered an adventive species (i.e., non-native and usually not established), but is present in most states in the eastern US. Although these bees can be found on various plants, they typically prefer plants that have been introduced from their native area. Some have observed that when collecting pollen or nectar, Megachile sculptures will damage local flora, making them unusable to future bee visitors (Sumner 2003). Evidence has shown that Megachile sculptural pollinates a native and federally threatened plant, Apios pricenana (Campbell 2016).
Giant resin bee Megachile sculpturalis (Smith) (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
Year: 2015
