Page 183 - Florida Pest Control Examinations

LEAFCUTTING BEE LEAFCUTTING BEE-DAMAGE

Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

1.Antenna- 2, short 6.Thorax- covered with hairs LEAFCUTTING BEE
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- small
3.Head- small 8.Abdomen- has yellow bands
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- black with yellow markings 6 5
5.Wings- 2 pair, shorter than body 10.Other- pollen carried 2
underneath on hairs

Life Cycle 1 8
In the spring, the female lays about a dozen eggs in cells, each 4
containing one egg and some pollen. They hatch and then overwinter
as new adults, chewing their way out of the nest in the following spring.
Occasionally there is a second generation in the same year. Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR

LEAFCUTTING BEE Actual size 1”

Leafcutting Bees get their name from their habit of cutting leaves to construct their nests. The
bees cut 1/4 to ½-inch pieces of leaves to construct a cigar-shaped nest of several cells.
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The nests are located in soil, rotting wood, or plant stems. Leafcutting Bees pollinate flowers,
fruits, and other crops like honeybees. They are even used as commercial pollinators for some
crops. They are solitary and do not live in hives or colonies. They have a very mild sting, and
are not considered a danger to people.

1.Antenna- 2, medium length 6.Thorax- broad
2.Eyes- compound 7.Petiole- small CICADA KILLER
3.Head- small 8.Abdomen- has yellow bands 5
4.Legs- 6 9.Color- black with yellow markings 1 6
5.Wings- 2 pair, long 10.Other- several colonies can be in
same location
Life Cycle
Cicada Killers will start to mate on the ground, but it can be carried on into flight. The 8
female will then dig a burrow hole up to four feet deep with many side branches or cells,
and provision it with captured and paralyzed cicadas. She lays one egg on a cicada in 4
each branch or cell, with about four cicadas in each cell. The larvae that hatch will feed
upon the paralyzed cicadas for two weeks, then go into a prepupal stage in which they
overwinter. They hatch in the spring, and adult females will live for about a month.
Photo Courtesy of UNIVAR
CICADA KILLER Actual size 1 1/2”
Cicada Killers are probably the largest wasps found in Florida. They are also known as Giant
Ground Hornets. They are considered beneficial because they eliminate cicadas, which feed
upon plants. The males can be very aggressive and territorial, but since only the females sting
the problems for humans are rare. The sting of a female can be dangerous for elderly people
and children at times.

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