Megachile sp: do they cut petals as well as leaves?

[crazylilthing]

I posted some pictures on a Megachile thread earlier...

Megachile sp.

but now have a distinct question that needs space of its own.

This picture clearly shows a nest-hole sealed with a petal. Is this a Megachile sp. behaviour or are we looking at another genus here?



It looks remarkable in real life. All the cells in the block up to this point were cut out of leaves.

Anyone out there to enlighten me, please?

[eucera]

Megachile will cut petals too... its the consistency that matters rather than the colour

[crazylilthing]

Originally Posted by eucera

Megachile will cut petals too... its the consistency that matters rather than the colour

But it's an interesting flexibility, isn't it? I mean, these petals are distinctly waxy whereas the leaves of Rose sp. (including winter flowering honesuckle) are definitely not.

I wonder what influences the decision?

[Africa]

I recently read a chapter of a book called 'Bramble-bees and others' written by Fabre, and he describes the Leaf-cutters taste for his geraniums' flower petals:
"This was the Feeble Leaf-cutter (Megachile imbecilla, GERST.). Nearly a quarter of a century ago, I saw her, all through the month of July, cutting out her rounds and ellipses at the expense of the petals of the Pelargonium zonale, the common geranium. Her perseverance devastated — there is no other word for it — my modest array of pots. Hardly was a blossom out, when the ardent Megachiles came and scalloped it into crescents. The colour was indifferent to her: red, white or pink, all the petals underwent the disastrous operation. A few captures, ancient relics of my collecting-boxes by this time, indemnified me for the pillage. I have not seen this unpleasant Bee since. With what does she build when there are no geranium-flowers handy? I do not know; but the fact remains that the fragile tailoress used to attack the foreign flower, a fairly recent acquisition from the Cape, as though all her race had never done anything else."
You can access this book for free here:

[crazylilthing]

Originally Posted by Africa

I recently read a chapter of a book called 'Bramble-bees and others' written by Fabre, and he describes the Leaf-cutters taste for his geraniums' flower petals...
You can access this book for free here:

Absolutely fantastic. Thanks so much-- I'm looking forward to reading that!

[crazylilthing]

Originally Posted by Africa

I recently read a chapter of a book called 'Bramble-bees and others' written by Fabre, and he describes the Leaf-cutters taste for his geraniums' flower petals:

Update: the petal looks as if it has now been removed and the nest has been capped with a leaf. (It's just possible that there's a perfectly-fitting leaf over the petal but the shape was irregular and this doesn't seem likely.)