Leafcutter bee adults gather pollen, carrying it on the abdomen or face, (unlike honey bees, which carry pollen in a so-called basket on their legs). The dense pollen-carrying hairs are called a scopa, from the Latin for broom.

The bee shown in image 5, has Nootka rose pollen on the abdominal scopa and another species of pollen on the back.

Megachilids lay eggs in holes they dig in the ground. Some species separate egg chambers with small leaf circles; others are nest parasites (see Leafcutter and Cukoo in the menu).

On a few occasions, I’ve been able to follow a single megachilid from flower to flower for many minutes by listening for its distinctive buzz.