The Systematics and Biology of Litomegachile (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)

The subgenus Litomegachile is part of the large genus Megachile, the leafcutter and resin bees, so named for their habit of using leaf pieces and other plant materials to construct their nests. Litomegachile are some of the most common bees in North America, but they are notoriously difficult to identify to species. Each of the species has a unique range that may overlap with other species’ ranges. It is possible that they have different ecological roles, in terms of which plants they visit and where they nest. There are also five subspecies which may be distinct species. I aim to revise this subgenus to determine how many species there actually are, how to tell them apart, and reveal their importance as pollinators. It is my goal to provide a complete account of the biology, distribution, and morphology of all of the species of this group. I plan to use this information, in combination with an analysis of molecular data to create a phylogeny for Litomegachile. This will be a significant work in addressing not only this group of bees, but results could be useful in addressing other questions, such as how species remain separate when their ranges overlap.