Megachilidae

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A family of bees that cut leaves or use mud to build nests and pollinate plants

noun
/ˌmɛɡəˈkɪlɪdi/

Specialized

: Megachilidae

The Megachilidae family includes many fascinating species.

Examples

The Megachilidae are well known for their use of leaves and resin to construct nests.
Research on Megachilidae helps scientists understand the evolution of solitary bee behavior.
Gardeners appreciate Megachilidae species for their role as efficient pollinators.
Did you know that the Megachilidae are excellent pollinators?
The Megachilidae family includes bees that build their nests using leaves.
Leaf-cutting bees from the Megachilidae family are known for their impressive nest construction.
Mason bees, belonging to the Megachilidae family, create nests from mud and plant materials.

Surface Forms

Megachilidae singular

Megachilididae plural

Megachilidae plural

Morphology

Megachilidae = Megachile + idae

This is a technical zoological family name formed from a genus name plus the scientific suffix '-idae', which is not a productive or guessable formation for an average B1 learner.

Etymology

Megachilidae comes from Greek parts mega ('large') and cheil ('lip'), so it means 'large-lipped'. A helpful memory is that these bees have strong jaws they use to cut leaves and mud to build nests, which explains the family name.