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Blue-banded Bee - Amegilla sp.
Family ANTHOPHORIDAE
This page contains pictures and information about Blue-banded Bees that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 15mm
- The thorax and head of Blue-banded Bees are covered with golden hairs and abdomen is banded with pale blue bands on black. This is a solitary bee but females may build nest together in same location with other Blue-banded Bees.
- We took the above picture at Wishart in mid summer 2002 while the bee visiting its fond of lavender (Lavandula) flowers. Blue-banded Bees build their nests underground. Male do not build nest. They will cluster for the night hanging from stems or leaves by their jaws.
Blue-banded Bees are known as buzz pollinators. They use special technique to get the pollen from flowers known as buzz pollination. They hold the flowers and vibrate with loud buzz sound. The vibration excited the flower which drop the pollen onto the bees body. Other insects do not know this technique cannot get the pollen. Every time the bees rest on a flower, we can hear a short loud buzz sound.
Notice the bee's long tongue in the first picture. They use their long tongue to suck the nectar deep in the flowers as well.
- Blue-banded Bees are are native to Australia, although they or their close relatives can be found in other continents. They do sting but they are not aggressive, i.e., they will not attack unless disturbed.
- They love blue flowers. To encourage their visit, you may grow more blue flowers in your garden.
Food Plant in the wild
- There are a lot of garden flowers as the food plants for Blue-banded Bees. In the wild, we saw Blue-banded Bee fed on Bottle-brush Grass Tree flower.
- Bottle-brush Grass Tree, Saw-edged Grass Tree
- Xanthorrhoea macronema, family Xanthorrhoeaceae
- The above pictures were taken in Mt Cotton.
