Blue Banded Bee
SPECIES Blue Banded Bee
TAXONOMY Amegilla (Zonamegilla) cingulata
STATUS Not Listed
Australia is home to 1600 native bee species. Most native bees are solitary, meaning they complete their life cycle alone unlike the introduced social Honey Bee. Solitary native bees do not produce honey or live in large hives. There are some native species that do store pollen and make honey to survive over winter months. Bees are pollinators and help us grow our food and flowers with at least 90% of plants relying on pollination for reproduction.
Geographical Range
Native to Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, and India, the Blue Banded bee can be found from urban areas to tropical forests. They have not been found in Tasmania. They live solitary lives with the female building small burrows in the soil or the crevices of rocks. They are described as ground dwelling bees.
Appearance
The bodies of bees are comprised of a head, thorax, and abdomen. They have six legs and two pairs of wings. Their two antennae are used to touch and smell, whilst their mandibles are used for biting or working pollen and wax. They have two compound eyes and three simple eyes.
Named for the blue stripes across their abdomens, research suggests there are as many as 25 sub-species of the Blue Banded bee. They range in length from 8 to 14 mm. Both males and females have thick, reddish-brown fur on their thorax and a black abdomen. The male has five iridescent blue bands on their abdomen while the female has four. Their faces can have yellow, cream, or white markings. They feature enormous green eyes and tan-coloured wings that resemble crisp cellophane. The species sports a long tongue that enables them to extract nectar from trumpet shaped flowers.
Lifespan
Blue Banded bees live for 40 days. Taking seven weeks to hatch, three generations will occur during each summer. If winter approaches, the eggs will remain in their cells and emerge the following spring.
Behaviour
Although capable of stinging, Blue Banded bees are considered placid creatures and do not move in swarms. They are noted for having a darting, hovering flight pattern.
The male bees roost in small groups at night by hanging onto stems with their mandibles. When a new bee arrives to the group, others will vigorously shake their legs until they resettle. Eventually, they will tuck their legs underneath until the day starts and the temperature rises. The male spends his time foraging and finding a new mate.
The female builds her nest underground and many nests can be found alongside one another on the banks of waterways. They spend their day actively foraging in the search for nectar and pollen. They prefer temperatures of between 18 and 40 degrees celsius.
It has been noted that the Blue Banded bee is attracted to purple and blue flowers.
The Blue Banded bee are among a few native species that perform a particular type of pollination known as sonification (aka as buzz pollination). As some flowers hide their pollen inside tiny capsules, this bee can grasp a flower and shiver the flight muscles causing the pollen to release. It will collect and then distribute the pollen from one flower to another. This is extremely useful in certain types of flowers that hold onto their pollen, and highly valuable to many crops such as tomatoes, blueberries, eggplant, and chilies. According to some research, up to 8% of the world’s plants need buzz pollination in order to reproduce. It is estimated that this activity within Australia has improved yields by as much as 30% in these crops.
Threats
This native bee is preyed upon by the Neon Cuckoo bee, Cane Toads, frogs, and many birds. The female Neon Cuckoo bee will also lay her eggs in the same nest as the Blue Banded with the intention of consuming the food in storage, leaving the larvae of the Blue Banded to starve.
Urbanisation and the use of pesticide is also reducing flowering plants that the bees rely on and natural vegetation along river banks where they nest.
What we can do to help
Conserve existing bee habitat,
Provide habitat for bees,
Plant bee friendly flowers, and
Reduce or stop pesticide use in your garden.
Updated 5 May 2021