We, of course, sought our answer from one of our most favorite books: Tracks and Signs of Insects and Other Invertebrates by Charley Eiseman and Noah Charney and discovered these cut circles are the work of Leafcutter Bees (Megachilidae). Perfect name!
From Eiseman's and Charney's book: "They cut both circular and oval pieces from the edges of leaves, which they use to make cells in their nests. The bee first forces several circular pieces into the bottom of a burrow to form the base of a cell, lines the sides with several oblong pieces, and then packs in several more circular pieces to close the cell, creating a thimblelike capsule."
We are amazed. These cut pieces of leaves become the protective home of baby bees. So, so cool. What might it be like in one of those cells?
You can find so many more stories like this one on Charley Eiseman's blog.
How cool! It would be fun to search for one of those cells--Love the new header photo!
ReplyDeleteThat would be cool, wouldn't it? It seems like it would be impossible to find. Thanks for the compliment! :)
DeleteCool! How have I not seen this before? Thanks for the link to Charley's blog; I've added it to my feeds.
ReplyDeleteI know! Yes, you will love his blog. It's fascinating!
DeleteCool! I just added some tubes for leafcutter bees to my "bug hotel". I haven't seen any take up residence, it's always nice to encourage native bees!
ReplyDeleteWhat size holes do they need I wonder? I suppose I should just Google it! :) We have lots of bees using various tubes around here and I want to spend some time figuring them out.
DeleteThank you, Jennifer! I was totally wondering what insects made these in red buds. I appreciate your thirst for knowledge and sharing it! Betsy
ReplyDeleteYay Betsy! How super fun to hear from you. We send you many, many hugs from Ohio and look forward to crossing paths with you again soon dear friend.
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