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| Blue Banded Bee: Amegilla cingulata in flight |
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| Blue Banded Bee: Amegilla cingulata in flight |
Location: South West, Western Australia
Season: Summer, December/January
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Tribe: Anthophorini
Genus: Amegilla
Amegilla cingulata
Blue Banded Bee is an iconic Australian Native Bee. It is easily identified by the pale blue bands on the abdomen. The thorax is covered in golden hairs. They have large eyes which are milky green. They can sting but not aggressive. The males have 5 complete bands on their abdomen, while females have 4 complete bands. Unlike other bees, these are solitary bees: they don't have queen, workers, drones, they don't live in hives or in a colony. The males 'roost' together on plants while females collect pollen and dig burrows to rest in them. When the female lays her egg, she stores it in a single nest cell with pollen and nectar to feed the larva. The larva emerges as adult in warm weather.
They dart and hover in flight with buzzing which gets more intense as it approaches an object.
They are attracted to blue coloured objects. I have witnessed a Blue Banded Bee repeatedly hover around and investigate a piece of blue plastic lying in the garden. This great photo opp was missed by the lack of a camera at hand. They are attracted to flowers of other colours too.
The importance of these native bees for crops is the way in which they pollinate the flowers. These bees, in order to obtain pollen from the flowers, buzz very close to the flower. The resonant vibration dislodges the pollen. This is called Buzz Pollination. It is very effective in crops of solanacae family like tomatoes.
This bee's predators are cuckoo bees and man in the form of urban development and loss of habitat. Some people build 'Bee Hotels' providing a place for the bees to rest and have the cell nests. The European Bee which is not native to Australia is a stronger forager than the native bee which could cause competition in small areas with less food.
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| Female digging a burrow note the 5th ring on the abdomen is incomplete |
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| Male Bees Roosting. One of them is of a different species which makes me think it is a Teddy Bear Bee. |
Reference: Australian Museum
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