Bee Articles

Getting a Buzz Out of Bees – Lois Hughes

Getting a Buzz Out of Bees – Lois Hughes

An introduction to our native solitary bees. For the scientifically minded, the following is a general description of bees. Bees belong…..

Teddy Bear Bees, Amegilla (Asaropoda) – Erica Siegel

Teddy Bear Bees, Amegilla (Asaropoda) – Erica Siegel

So far there are 26 species of Amegilla (Asasopoda) recorded in Australia. Teddy Bear Bees are solitary bees and range in size from 7-20 mm…

Great Carpenter Bee – Xylocopa (Koptortosoma) – Erica Siegel

Great Carpenter Bee – Xylocopa (Koptortosoma) – Erica Siegel

There are six species of Great Carpenter bees in Australia and they are found in the warmer climate of northern Western Australia, Northern NSW, Queensland and the Northern Territory. They are one of several buzz pollinators. …

Blue-banded Bee, Amegilla sp. – Erica Siegel

Blue-banded Bee, Amegilla sp. – Erica Siegel

There are over 20 described Blue-banded bees in Australia ranging in size from 8 mm to 18 mm. They are one of three long-tongued bees and known as buzz pollinators……

Peacock or Green Carpenter (Xylocopa, formerly in genus Lestis) – Erica Siegel

Peacock or Green Carpenter (Xylocopa, formerly in genus Lestis) – Erica Siegel

Xylocopa bombylans is found along the coast from Sydney to Cape York and X. aeratus is found around Sydney, on the Dividing Range up to approximately the Stanthorpe area…..

	 Homalictus bee – Homalictus urbanus - Erica Siegel

Homalictus bee – Homalictus urbanus - Erica Siegel

There are about 40 species of Homalictus bees and they are found in all states of Australia, both along the coast and inland. ….

Lipotriches – Family HALICTIDAE – Subfamily Nomiinae – Erica Siegel

Lipotriches – Family HALICTIDAE – Subfamily Nomiinae – Erica Siegel

The Family Halictidae are short-tongued bees and have dagger shaped tongues according to Dr Ken Walker (Bowerbird Bugle March 2016). Lipotriches used to be known as Nomia bees but …

Bees photographed by Jenny Thynne 05
Bees photographed by Jenny Thynne 01
Bees photographed by Jenny Thynne 08