34 



Every Rose grower knows the appearance of the 

 leaves shown in (Plate V., Fig. 7). The curious semi- 

 circular cut-out areas of the leaves seen above are the 

 result of the attack of this leaf-cutting bee. 



The pieces of leaves are cut out by the bees to form 

 their nests, and for this purpose they use also the leaves 

 of the Annual and Perennial Mercury, but Rose leaves are 

 their favourite. This bee carries the cut-out sections of 

 the leaves to some tunnel it has formed either in decay- 

 ing wood or in brick walls and now and again in the 

 ground. 



These nests are made first by the removal of wood, 

 earth or mortar, until a cylindrical tube is formed, often 

 some inches in length. The female then proceeds to cut 

 pieces out of the Rose leaves to line this tube. She then 

 places an egg at the end and fills it around with a red- 

 dish hued substance composed of pollen and honey. 

 This having been done the bee flies off and cuts a 

 circular piece of leaf and shuts in the egg and its atten- 

 dant food material, several layers of circular leaf sub- 

 stance are added until the cell is firmly sealed up, and so on 

 until six or more cells have been formed (Plate V., Fig. 8). 



Upon the stored-up food the white footless maggots 

 coming from the eggs feed and eventually spin cocoons 

 of silk attached to the sides of the cells, and in the coming 

 season, after passing through the pupal stage, the leaf- 

 cutting bees appear again. We can do nothing to pre- 

 vent them working in this way unless it is by following 

 them to their nests and destroying the same at dusk, 

 when the makers are safely housed within. 



