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Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Blount County

Leaf cutting bees like this Megachile petulans are found around this world. Common and often nesting in holes in wood, some made by our wood boring beetle friends and some made by people (consciously or unconsciously). I am presuming that M.

Leaf cutters never seem to end. Here is Megachile petulans, southernish in distribution and with a lovely display of the complicated tongue architecture bees have. Tongue? This structure is so far removed from our tongues it is ridiculous. Really, think of bees and insects as coming from a different planet.

Leaf cutters never seem to end. Here is Megachile petulans, southernish in distribution and with a lovely display of the complicated tongue architecture bees have. Tongue? This structure is so far removed from our tongues it is ridiculous. Really, think of bees and insects as coming from a different planet.

A southern bee that just barely gets up into the upper coastal plain of North America. This specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it found its way tot their lovely pollinator garden. In that same garden its nest parasite, Coelioxys germana provided Maryland's first specimen record. Photography by Wayne Boo.

A southern bee that just barely gets up into the upper coastal plain of North America. This specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it found its way tot their lovely pollinator garden. In that same garden its nest parasite, Coelioxys germana provided Maryland's first specimen record. Photography by Wayne Boo.

A southern bee that just barely gets up into the upper coastal plain of North America. This specimen comes from Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge where it found its way tot their lovely pollinator garden. In that same garden its nest parasite, Coelioxys germana provided Maryland's first specimen record. Photography by Wayne Boo.

Megachile poeyi, the most common Megachile, leaf cutting bee on GTMO in Cuba

Megachile poeyi, female, A common Caribbean leaf-cutting bee, this one from GTMO Naval Base, in Cuba

More Leaf-cutters from South Texas from my recent trip. Here is Megachile policaris. Big, found on Sunflowers alone roadsides, Note the big cutting tooth on its mandibles used to cut leaves to line its nests. A particularly trim species with nice sharp lines of bright white hairs along the rims of the abdomen.

More Leaf-cutters from South Texas from my recent trip. Here is Megachile policaris. Big, found on Sunflowers alone roadsides, Note the big cutting tooth on its mandibles used to cut leaves to line its nests. A particularly trim species with nice sharp lines of bright white hairs along the rims of the abdomen.

More Leaf-cutters from South Texas from my recent trip. Here is Megachile policaris. Big, found on Sunflowers alone roadsides, Note the big cutting tooth on its mandibles used to cut leaves to line its nests. A particularly trim species with nice sharp lines of bright white hairs along the rims of the abdomen.

What a lovely leaf-cutter from the coastal dunes of Florida. I particularly like the stubtle metallic glints on the top of the abdomen. What a fantastic finish this would make to tricky out your yet black car. This species was collected by Anthony Abbate as part of his ongoing survey of Dune bee species. How vulnerable are these bees to sea level rise?

What a lovely leaf-cutter from the coastal dunes of Florida. I particularly like the stubtle metallic glints on the top of the abdomen. What a fantastic finish this would make to tricky out your yet black car. This species was collected by Anthony Abbate as part of his ongoing survey of Dune bee species. How vulnerable are these bees to sea level rise?

What a lovely leaf-cutter from the coastal dunes of Florida. I particularly like the stubtle metallic glints on the top of the abdomen. What a fantastic finish this would make to tricky out your yet black car. This species was collected by Anthony Abbate as part of his ongoing survey of Dune bee species. How vulnerable are these bees to sea level rise?

Megachile pseudobrevis, female, Fort Matanzas National Monument, Florida

Fort Mantanzas National Monument has Megachile pseudobrevis living in it. How nice that National Monuments now become sanctuaries for bees and Nature while we continue to tame to death the rest of the world. Photography by Miss Sierra Williams.

Fort Mantanzas National Monument has Megachile pseudobrevis living in it. How nice that National Monuments now become sanctuaries for bees and Nature while we continue to tame to death the rest of the world. Photography by Miss Sierra Williams.

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia

Cumberland Island National Seashore, Georgia