Native bee?

kennedia_nigricans · ‎25-12-2013

I saw a "bee" in our garden. It was very interested in our first time flowering prickly bottle brush (I think they are a bit rare).

It looked like a normal honey bee but was more sturdy, like a maori waarrior is more sturdy than a normal caucasian guy.

Also instead of being brown/yellow it was white/black around the bum and looked like a "heavily built zebra bee".

Does anyone know what it was?

I thought it must be native being so interested in that native shrub but I have never seen one like it before.

imastawka · ‎25-12-2013

Anything here?

http://www.aussiebee.com.au/beesinyourarea.html

**meep** · ‎25-12-2013

Amegilla cingulata?

View solution in original post

kennedia_nigricans · ‎25-12-2013

@**meep** wrote:
Amegilla cingulata?

yes that looks just like it!

kennedia_nigricans · ‎25-12-2013

I wanted to buit a dry wall to put the bird water on top and i thought that lizards could live in there.

how do i do it so these bees will nest there and not be eaten by lizards or spiders?

**meep** · ‎25-12-2013

I have no idea......We have blue- tongue lizards and bees who seem to co-exist happily in the backyard. Maybe just leave them to sort things out...

kennedia_nigricans · ‎25-12-2013

hhmmmm they nest in riverbanks....

it's too dry here to simulate that.

maybe if i just add a bit of mortar here and there with some sand/dirt in it? i didn't really mean to built a solid structure.

bright.ton42 · ‎26-12-2013

That's really nice that you care about the little critters, so many dont

acacia_pycnantha · ‎26-12-2013

I think a good topic for the photo contest might be . . . interesting insects/spiders (critters) in our gardens.

lakeland27 · ‎26-12-2013

@kennedia_nigricans wrote:
hhmmmm they nest in riverbanks....

it's too dry here to simulate that.

maybe if i just add a bit of mortar here and there with some sand/dirt in it? i didn't really mean to built a solid structure.

ive had them in the adelaide hills, maybe not the same variety, but the honey was the best i've eaten (i only removed a small part to try)