The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has released the Recovery Plan for the Leafcutter Bee, Megachile pruina pruina, on Bermuda.
A recovery plan delineates the actions believed to be necessary to recover and/or protect a species listed on our Protected Species List.
Photo by Drew Pettit
The Leafcutter bee is protected by the Protected Species Act (2003) and is listed as Vulnerable (VU) under the Protected Species Amendment Order (2016). They are only known from a few coastal locations within the Castle Island Nature Reserve, which makes them particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Unlike the honey or bumble bee species which live in colonies, the Leafcutter bee is solitary. They look very similar to honeybees but they have broader heads and larger mandibles, used for cutting leaves.
Further studies are needed to better understand the status of Bermuda's leafcutter bee and to better understand the scope and severity of the threats to their local population.