Showcase Australia

Category: Western Australia

  • Eremaea beaufortioides and the smallest bee I’ve ever seen…

    Eremaea beaufortioides and the smallest bee I’ve ever seen…

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ A quick follow up on yesterdays post on the smallest bee I’ve ever seen. I was asked about the flower and something for scale… The flower is Eremaea beaufortioides, a native only found in a comparatively… Continue reading

  • Smallest bee I’ve ever seen…

    Smallest bee I’ve ever seen…

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ Smallest bee I’ve ever seen… Dead set maybe a smidge over 2mm (and I’m a carpenter by trade, I know how small a millimetre is). Couldn’t even tell by eye it was a bee, it was… Continue reading

  • Aus Post Tracking and my mate Murphy…

    Aus Post Tracking and my mate Murphy…

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ Woohoo, my working week (well, 3 days) is done, 4 days off, my Eucalyptus platypus is flowering, the bees are turning up (I’ve spotted 5 different species so far but hoping that will double, at least,… Continue reading

  • Bembix YY 5000 and Bembix XY 5000

    Bembix YY 5000 and Bembix XY 5000

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ From several metres away, as some zipped from flower to flower while others, typical of some male bees, seemed to hover territorially over “their” patch, for a moment I thought I might have found another “new”… Continue reading

  • “Snow bees”

    “Snow bees”

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ “Try catching the bee and put it in the freezer for a bit” they say, “it slows down their metabolism and you can get some good close up pics and then set them free” they say…… Continue reading

  • we experienced something that reminded me of my childhood…

    we experienced something that reminded me of my childhood…

    Author Jean and Fred Hort ◦ As a child I spent many happy days with my brothers, sister and friends running to the top of sand hills and jumping off. Yesterday, we experienced something that reminded me very much of… Continue reading

  • the males didn’t seem to care…

    the males didn’t seem to care…

    Author Mark Hanlon ◦ This is Julodimorpha saundersii from Kalbarri in W.A. today. I found them quite commonly flying over the heath and the females walking across the road (females cannot fly). Unfortunately many were hit by cars however the… Continue reading

  • The wing venation thing again and why I suspect it’s Lasioglossum

    The wing venation thing again and why I suspect it’s Lasioglossum

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ Still some more from our last cloudy, rainy day out… The one in the first 4 pics I reckon is a male Lasioglossum (Parasphecodes). Male ‘cos even without counting the antennae segments (including the scape and… Continue reading

  • Size and shape of the stigma and curve of the basal vein

    Size and shape of the stigma and curve of the basal vein

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ From last week’s bush run… Not sure on this one, but the size and shape of the stigma and curve of the basal vein has me thinking Halictid, so I reckon it’s highly likely there’s a… Continue reading

  • But it’s good to see them again

    But it’s good to see them again

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ These gorgeous little unknown (by me, that is😄) Leioproctus are late this year, they’re usually one of the first native bees to emerge in the second week of July. But then, their favourite flowers, the Hakea… Continue reading

  • Lehmannianus and Lemannianus

    Lehmannianus and Lemannianus

    Author Terry Dunham ◦ Hakea lehmanniana (Blue Hakea) and Banksia lemanniana (Yellow Lantern Banksia). Note the two different species spelling, that sometimes get confused when naming them >> H. Lehmanniana is named in honour of German botanist Johann Georg Christian… Continue reading

  • my mystery Hylaeine…

    my mystery Hylaeine…

    Author Gary Taylor ◦ Still on my mystery Hylaeine… One suggestion was it looked like Hylaeus (Hylaeteron) douglasi. So for comparison, in the 1st pic is the female douglasi, the following 2nd pic is the male. The 3rd pic is… Continue reading