The alfalfa leafcutting bee (ALCB), Megachile rotundata F. (Megachildae), was accidentally introduced into the United States by 1940s. Nest management of this Eurasian nonsocial pollinator transformed seed industry in North America, tripling production. most common ALCB practice is loose cell system, which cocooned bees are removed from nesting cavities for cleaning and storage. Traits ALCBs that favored their commercialization include gregarious nesting; use leaves lining nests; ready acceptance affordable, mass-produced materials; pollination efficacy; emergence synchrony with bloom. became a commercial success because much its natural history understood, targeted research pursued, producer ingenuity encouraged. presents model system commercializing other solitary advancing new testable hypotheses diverse biological disciplines.

The Alfalfa Leafcutting Bee,<i>Megachile rotundata</i>: The World's Most Intensively Managed Solitary Bee