Blue banded bee
Amegilla cingulata
Should I report?
Blue banded bees (Amegilla cingulata) are native to Australia. If you find a blue banded bee you do not need to report it.
Description
The blue banded bee is golden brown in colour with a black abdomen and distinctive iridescent blue abdominal banding with dense hairs covering most of the body including legs. They fly fast darting from flower to flower and are small in size, ranging from 10-12mm in length.
Blue banded bees live solitary but usually within close range to other blue banded bees. The females build their own nest in soft banks of sheltered positions and males will roost at night congregating in small groups of other male blue banded bees.
Distribution
They are widely distributed across Australia excluding Tasmania.
Benefits
Blue banded bees are buzz pollinators playing an important role in pollination services to flowering plants in particular to species that require buzz pollination.
