Common name : Wool carder bee
Scientific name : Anthidium manicatum
Family : Megachilidae
Native to : Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America
Interesting fact : The wool carder bee gets its name from its behaviour of scraping hair of leaves, and then carrying the hair bundled behind its body to use as a lining in nest building.
This insect has a wingspan of 20 mm and a body length of 11-13 mm. Known as old world bees, these bees are black and yellow in colour with orange coloured fur. They live in the cavities of rotting wood and walls. The wool carder bee’s diet is comprised of pollen from various flowers, specifically blue flowers with long necks.
