What the heck is this?

[Suky]

I have found these little packets, wrapped in bits of leaf, in the rootrainers sown with leeks. I am assuming they are the larvae of something but I have no idea what.

[Nicos]

Quick!!!!...RUN!!!!!!!


...nope- no idea!- clever though eh?

Have you had a peek inside?

[Suky]

No I haven't just in case it's something rare or endangered or sommat I have carefully closed the rootrainer back up and returned it to the rack where they were growing on.

[Bountyhunter]

Ha ha, there is no way i would open them if i was on my own lol

[Capsid]

What's inside the leaf wrapping?

[Suky]

Something soft! The leaves are not stuck together, just wrapped in neat little bundles. I don't want to unwrap it as it may harm what is in there. I have now found some more in another rootrainer, four this time and have carefully closed them back up. I thought it might be a leafcutter bee but can't find anything that would confirm this.

[Nik]

I have them in a bag of compost i left open. I opened one up and its got a big grub in it. Amazing structures aren't they?

[gojiberry]

Never seen them before, but they look interesting. Could be leafcutter bee but I always thought they cut smaller pieces of leaf rather than whole leaves.

Ian

[rustylady]

Leafcutter bee is my first instinct.

[rustylady]

Found this link on google and the little nests certainly sound the same Solitary bees

[Suky]

Never seen them before, but they look interesting. Could be leafcutter bee but I always thought they cut smaller pieces of leaf rather than whole leaves.
They are sections of leaf rather than a whole leaf.

Ian

Found this link on google and the little nests certainly sound the same Solitary bees

This is similar except that these are wrapped singly rather than several in a long tube. I do feel that it is a 'solitary bee' though, so I shall just have to put them somewhere that they won't get wet and let them be. Perhaps I will fill the rest of the rootrainers with compost and leave them for more nests. I could have a bee nursery

[peanut]

Looks Like Leafcutter Bee to me.....every summer they lay their larvae in the pots on my garden tables ....it's lovely watching them flying in with a big lump of leaf!