Scientific name Megachile pluto Rank Species | Subgenus M. (Chalicodoma) Higher classification Megachile | |
Similar Megachile, Insect, Hymenopterans, Megachilidae, Phobaeticus chani | ||
Megachile pluto preview 2
Megachile pluto, also known as Wallace's giant bee, is a very large Indonesian resin bee. It is considered the largest living bee species. It was believed to be extinct until rediscovery in 1981.
Contents
- Megachile pluto preview 2
- Description
- Distribution and habitat
- Discovery and rediscovery
- Ecology
- References
Description
Females may reach a length of 38 mm (1.5 in), with a wingspan of 63.5 mm (2.5 in). Males only grow to about 23 mm (0.9 in) long. M. pluto is regarded as the largest living bee species.
Distribution and habitat
Wallace's giant bee has only been reported from three islands of the North Moluccas in Indonesia: Bacan, Halmahera and Tidore. Very little is known about its distribution and habitat requirements, although it is thought that it is restricted to primary lowland forests.
Discovery and rediscovery
The species was originally described by Alfred Russel Wallace in 1858, and given the common name "Wallace's giant bee"; it is also known as the "giant mason bee". It was thought to be extinct until it was rediscovered in 1981 by Adam C. Messer, an American entomologist, who found six nests on the island of Bacan and other nearby islands.
Ecology
Wallace's giant bee builds communal nests inside active nests of the tree-dwelling termite Microcerotermes amboinensi, which may have served to hide their existence even from island residents. The bee uses tree resin to build compartments inside the termite nest. The association of the bee with the termite is possibly an obligate one.
