About Bees
The superfamily Apoidea is a major group within the Hymenoptera, which includes two traditionally recognized lineages, the sphecoid wasps, and the bees. Bees appear in recent classifications to be a specialized lineage of wasps that switched to the use of pollen and nectar as larval food, rather than insect prey.
European Honey Bee
The introduced European Honey Bee Apis mellifera forms many wild populations, competing with native bees. This bee is collecting nectar and pollen from the Native raspberry Rubus probus. Mellifera is from the Greek, and means honey-carrying (meli meaning honey and fero meaning carry) hence Apis mellifera is the honey-carrying bee.
Photo: Mark Crocker
Blue-banded Bee
The Blue-banded Bee Amegilla cingulata is a solitary bee but females may build nests together in the same location with other Blue-banded Bees. They are native to Australia, although close relatives can be found on other continents. They do sting but are not aggressive, that is, they will not attack unless disturbed.
Photo: Mark Crocker
Blue-banded Bees are attracted to blue flowers and are buzz pollinators. They have a long tongue for sipping nectar. The family Apidae presently includes all the genera that were previously classified in the now-obsolete Anthophoridae.
Photo: Mark Crocker
Native Stingless Bee
The Native Stingless Bee Trigona carbonaria is a small black bee. This photograph on the flowers of a White Siletta Orange is probably Trigona carbonaria which is common in Brisbane. It has collected large saddlebags of pollen and nectar attached to its hind legs.
Photo: Robert Whyte
Reed Bee
Probably Exoneura sp., these tiny, elongated Reed Bees, up to 8 mm long, are Australia’s least known social bees.
Photo: Robert Whyte
Amphylaeus sp.
A black hairless bee with yellow markings on its thorax, body length 10 mm, subfamily Hylaeine.
Photo: Robert Whyte
Leafcutter Bee
The Megachilidae are a cosmopolitan family of (mostly) solitary bees whose pollen-carrying structure (called scopa) is restricted to the ventral surface of the abdomen (rather than on the hind legs like in all other bee families). Megachilid genera include Megachile spp., the leafcutter bees[
Photo: Robert Whyte
