Megachile rotundata
(Fabricius, 1787) · speciesAt a glance
Sources10 archives
Databases and archives Megachile rotundata's data was compiled from.
WikipediaWikimedia Foundation10 languages↗
BioWikiNetmultilingual Wikipediamultilingual↗
GBIFGlobal Biodiversity Information Facility9 138 records↗
ENAEuropean Nucleotide Archive · EMBL-EBI232 eDNA detections↗
BOLD SystemsCentre for Biodiversity Genomics234 specimens↗
Open Tree of LifeOpenTreephylogeny backbone↗
GoaTGenomes on a Tree · Sangergenome & karyotype↗
NCBIUS National Library of Medicinegenome & karyotype↗
Tree of SexTree of Sex Consortiumgenome & karyotype↗
GLoBIGlobal Biotic Interactionsbiotic interactions↗Every layer below draws on the sources above — open one to explore it, or use ← → to move between tabs.
Megachile rotundata, the alfalfa leafcutting bee, is a European bee that has been introduced to various regions around the world. As a solitary bee species, it does not build colonies or store honey, but is a very efficient pollinator of alfalfa, carrots, other vegetables, and some fruits. Because of this, farmers often use M. rotundata as a pollination aid by distributing M. rotundata prepupae around their crops. Each female constructs and provisions her own nest, which is built in old trees or log tunnels. Being a leafcutter bee, these nests are lined with cut leaves. These bees feed on pollen and nectar and display sexual dimorphism. This species has been known to bite and sting, but it poses no overall danger unless it is threatened or harmed, and its sting has been described as half as painful as a honey bee's.
No narrative description available for this taxon yet.
Size & morphology2
A DNA barcode is a short, standardised stretch of genes that works like a fingerprint — enough to tell one species from another. Below is the molecular trace Megachile rotundata has left across the world's sequence archives.
At a glance
★ the standard DNA barcode for this group — the short region actually read to tell this species apart. The rest are extra genes sequenced along the way.
The complete instruction manual Megachile rotundata carries — its genome. We read it from three angles — how big it is, how the DNA is packed into chromosomes, and how completely it has been sequenced — and explain how to read each value as you go.
Genome sizehow big the whole instruction manual is
Measured in base pairs (bp) — the individual letters of DNA (human ≈ 3.2 Gb, a bacterium a few million). The chart places this genome on a logarithmic scale — each step to the right is ten times bigger — among reference organisms. Across species a bigger genome loosely tracks with larger cells, slower growth and lower-energy lifestyles (powered flight favours small genomes) — yet it does not imply more genes or a more advanced organism (the long-standing C-value paradox).
Chromosomes & ploidyhow the DNA is packaged
2n is the full chromosome count in a normal body cell; n is a gamete (egg or sperm), which carries half. Ploidy is how many complete chromosome sets each cell holds — 2× (diploid) is typical for animals, while higher levels (polyploidy) are common in plants. Click any value below to see the underlying records and sources.
2n 323×GoaT · Animal Chromosome Counts Database · GoaT · Tree of Sex Database · TreeOfSex · invert
2n 161×GoaT · Tree of Sex Database
Sequencing statusassembly quality — how far to trust these numbers
Assembly level tells you how finished the sequence is — from fragmented contigs, through scaffolds, up to a full chromosome-level assembly. BUSCO % estimates completeness: the share of genes expected to be present that were actually found. These describe the data quality, not the organism.
Record type9 138 records
Origin
Range
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Museum / Voucheredphysical evidence
Backed by a physical specimen — a herbarium sheet, sample or voucher held in a collection. “Vouchered” means supported by material evidence, not just an observation.
Wildobservation + sensor
Human sightings and records, or camera-trap / sensor detections — someone (or a device) saw or captured the species in the wild.
Holding institutions41 of 98 geolocated
Institutions and collections holding physical, vouchered specimens of this species — click a row to fly to it on the map.
| Institution | Specimens |
|---|---|
| US | 664 |
| 655 | |
| Universidad Católica de Manizaleslocation not on record | 617 |
| WIlocation not on record | 580 |
| Oregon State Arthropod Collectionlocation not on record | 542 |
| Helsinki, FI | 470 |
| Beltsville, US | 453 |
| Colorado State Universitylocation not on record | 220 |
| Lubbock, US | 161 |
| Cornell University Insect Collectionlocation not on record | 158 |
| Universidad Autónoma de Chiriquílocation not on record | 143 |
| Royal Saskatchewan Museumlocation not on record | 123 |
| LULlocation not on record | 114 |
| Wuzhou, CN | 107 |
| Toronto, CA | 97 |
| Zürich, CH | 81 |
| Philadelphia, US | 75 |
| Weber State University, Bird and Mammal Collectionlocation not on record | 69 |
| NMOKlocation not on record | 63 |
| Coimbra, PT | 59 |
| Alberta Environment and Parkslocation not on record | 55 |
| Lexington, US | 55 |
| Museums Victorialocation not on record | 54 |
| University Park, US | 51 |
| Provincia di Livornolocation not on record | 51 |
| White River Junction, US | 50 |
| New Haven, US | 48 |
| Musee d'Histoire Naturallelocation not on record | 47 |
| ZMAAlocation not on record | 37 |
| MWLRlocation not on record | 37 |
| Cambridge, US | 31 |
| New Zealand Arthropod Collectionlocation not on record | 25 |
| Muzeum Górnośląskie w Bytomiulocation not on record | 24 |
| University of Guelph, Centre for Biodiversity Genomicslocation not on record | 23 |
| Roberts Creek, CA | 22 |
| Paro, BT | 18 |
| Naturéum — Muséum cantonal des sciences naturelles, Lausanne, Département Zoologielocation not on record | 15 |
| Museum zu Allerheiligen Schaffhausenlocation not on record | 15 |
| Museo civico di Storia naturale Giacomo Doria di Genova | Giacomo Doria Natural History Museum in Genoalocation not on record | 14 |
| Awka, NG | 14 |
| Champaign, US | 13 |
| Vancouver, CA | 13 |
| Bern, CH | 12 |
| Nunoa, Santiago, CL | 12 |
| Auckland, NZ | 12 |
| Severin-McDaniel Insect Collectionlocation not on record | 12 |
| PRAZlocation not on record | 12 |
| Natuurpuntlocation not on record | 12 |
| Chicago, US | 11 |
| Cleveland Museum of Natural History, OH (CLEV)location not on record | 10 |
| Decorah, US | 10 |
| Vermont Center for Ecostudieslocation not on record | 10 |
| Essig Museum of Entomologylocation not on record | 9 |
| ZSMlocation not on record | 8 |
| North Carolina State University Insect Museumlocation not on record | 8 |
| Santa Cruz, US | 8 |
| SUNY ESFlocation not on record | 8 |
| Tartu, EE | 7 |
| New Haven, US | 6 |
| Mississippi State, US | 6 |
| Blacksburg, US | 6 |
| FWSlocation not on record | 5 |
| Philadelphia, US | 5 |
| MNHWlocation not on record | 5 |
| Montgomery, US | 5 |
| BBSLlocation not on record | 5 |
| PRUNlocation not on record | 4 |
| Sion, CH | 4 |
| WSUClocation not on record | 4 |
| European Distributed Institute of Taxonomy (EDIT)location not on record | 4 |
| Geneva, CH | 4 |
| Australian National Fish Collectionlocation not on record | 4 |
| University of Central Floridalocation not on record | 3 |
| Uniwersytet Łódzkilocation not on record | 3 |
| UNHClocation not on record | 3 |
| SOVTlocation not on record | 3 |
| US | 3 |
| Natural History Museum Rotterdamlocation not on record | 2 |
| US | 2 |
| Zadock Thompson Natural History Collection, University of Vermontlocation not on record | 2 |
| MSlocation not on record | 2 |
| ULglocation not on record | 2 |
| University of Alberta Museums (UAM)location not on record | 2 |
| EOlocation not on record | 2 |
| IENElocation not on record | 2 |
| University of Guelphlocation not on record | 2 |
| Vernal, US | 2 |
| Cape Town, ZA | 1 |
| Naturhistorisches Museum Wienlocation not on record | 1 |
| Natural History Museum of Utahlocation not on record | 1 |
| USALlocation not on record | 1 |
| Toronto, CA | 1 |
| Centre for Biodiversity Genomicslocation not on record | 1 |
| San Diego, US | 1 |
| IMEDEAlocation not on record | 1 |
| La Jolla, US | 1 |
| AKH, VIlocation not on record | 1 |
| OSUClocation not on record | 1 |
Where the DNA of Megachile rotundata was picked up in samples of water, soil or air — nobody saw the organism, only its DNA left behind. A trace is a clue that the species was near, not a confirmed sighting.
Signal
Where its DNA was found
How strong is each trace?
Modelled climatemodelled
How to read this: each dot is one detection of this species' DNA in an environmental sample. The confidence meter weighs how many independent studies and places back up the signal — one detection in one study is a hint; many across several studies is solid. Records dated before 2008 (when eDNA methods began) are treated as likely mislabeled and left off the map.