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The ABC’s of Aussie Bees

While sugarbag bees and Blue-banded bees are having their moment in the sun, there are many other unsung bee heroes flitting about in Australian landscapes pollinating and helping our environment. 

Most native bee species – in fact, over 99 per cent of them – are described as ‘solitary’, meaning they do not live in hives. However, they often ‘hang out’ together – or close to one another.

With over 1700 native bee species having been identified -  and experts saying there are more likely to be over 2000 species - we thought we would shine the spotlight on some of the species that deserve more attention. But, recognising their star quality, we start off with the celebrated sugarbag and Blue-banded bees!

Blue-banded bees (Amegilla cingulata)As you would guess from the name, Blue-banded bees have blue and black stripes that wrap around the backs of their hairy bodies. Their iridescence and ability to buzz pollinate – they shake their bodies over 300 times a second – have attracted much attention among bee and insect lovers. They are a solitary bee and the female lays her eggs in the ground. PlantingSeeds features the Blue-banded bee as one of our mascots to explain how we need to keep soil and clay areas free of paving and concrete in our cities. These bees are found all over Australia – except in Tasmania. The buzz pollination works by the bee’s thoracic (flight) muscles transmitting vibrations to the flower it is holding onto. This then releases pollen from the anther of the flower which is then dispersed onto nearby plants and flowers and for the bee to collect (from ‘New Phytologist Foundation’ 2019 article). These bees have been found to pollinate tomato, chilli and basil crops, as well as flowers such as Hibbertia scandens, Coastal Native Rosemary, Grey Spider Flower, Lavender, Buddleja, and Salvia.



Teddy bear bees (Amegilla bombiformis)

These bees resemble teddy bears with their intense orange-red/golden-brown colour and bigger bodies than those of regular honeybees. Like Blue-banded bees, they are also solitary but sometimes remain close to one another. They are usually found living in soil or eroded banks, and are more common along the entire eastern seaboard of mainland Australia, from Queensland, to NSW and Victoria. Being buzz pollinators as well, they help pollinate flowers such as Abelia, Butterfly Bush, Blue Flax Lily. 

Sugarbag bee (Tetragonula carbonaria)

A social bee, the sugarbag lives in a hive and produces honey. There are 11 species of native social bees in Australia – others include the Austroplebeia australis. The honey is often described as having a tangy taste and the hive structure is unique with a beautiful spiral coil created inside the hive structure. These little bees do not create as much honey as European bees and while people in warmer States such as Queensland can take some honey for their own purposes, it is not recommended in States such as NSW where it is cooler. The honeycomb spiral is constructed with bits of resin found in trees combined with a waxy substance the hive’s worker bees make. 



Great Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa aruana)

The Great Carpenter bee is Australia’s largest native bee species in size, and, like the majority, is described as solitary. The two main groups differ in colour: the Xylocopa Lestis is metallic green and the Xylocopa Koptortosoma is yellow. As buzz pollinators, they pollinate Melastoma affine, tea tree, Abelia, daisies, sunflowers, borage, bottlebrush, as well as basil, tomatoes and more. With their preference for warmer climates, they tend to be found in the warmer regions of NSW, across Queensland, and in the Northern Territory and Western Australia. 

Fire-Tailed Resin Bee (Megachile mystaceana)

These solitary bees specialise in gathering resin to build their homes and are a brilliant orange-red in colour, particularly on the lower half of their bodies. They tend to build homes in narrow holes of timber, or in other narrow plant structures that they may come across. Due to their need for resin to add to their homes, beekeepers have often encountered these bees lingering around stingless bee hives in particular, to ‘borrow’ needed resin. They also tend to use it to seal the entrances to their homes, keeping their habitats nice and secure.



Reed Bees (Exoneura) 

Finding homes in pithy, hollow stems of tree ferns and grass trees, as well as in dried-out Lantana canes, Reed bees truly live up to their name. They can be identified by their glossy, wedge-shaped, black and orange-red bodies, and may sometimes have a cream, T-shaped mark on their heads. These bees tend to pollinate native plants, and some crops, particularly blackberries, raspberries and other Rubus berries. They use their hairy legs to carry pollen, and collect nectar too for food. Often, Reed bees will use their wedge-shaped bodies to seal the entrances to their nests to keep intruders, like spiders and ants, away.

A great way to help them is by building bee hotels out of materials like bamboo, or old raspberry canes. They also find homes in native gardens where there are plenty of flora that flower during different seasons throughout the year. 

Unlike the majority of our native bees, Reed bees are semi-social and may live in either small colonies or opt for solitary domiciles (from ‘Murrindindi Guide’ article). They are mainly found in Victoria, as well as some parts of NSW and Western Australia, as they do not like the drier areas and desert regions.

So next time you step out into your garden, look out for some of our unsung Aussie bee heroes going about their important work. 

Article written by: Selma Mesanovic

General Sources Used: 

https://murrindindiguide.com.au/articles/reed-bees-make-a-valuable-contribution
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