Oregon is home to some of the richest bee biodiversity in the nation. Around 600 species can be found here, but the exact number is unknown because no one has really taken a good look. Until now. The Oregon Bee Atlas is a one-of-a-kind program in the U.S. that is led by volunteers working under the umbrella of OSU Extension. Over the past three years, these volunteers have contributed 70,000 new bee records from every county in the state. They have found some rare species including a metallic sweat bee from the Alvord Desert and a wool carder bee that was found nesting in the sand dunes around Newport.

There are around 40 species of leafcutting bees in genus Megachile in Oregon. These bees use their large and sharpened mandibles to cut discs of leaves and flower petals. They take these discs back to their nests. As many as 50 leaf discs harden into a nest around each developing bee, protecting them from parasites.