Native Bees — Batavia Coast and Midwest WAAustrothurgus  Euhesma Exoneura Hylaeus (Macrohylaeus) alcyoneus Hylaeus mysterium puella Hylaeus sanguinipictus Leioproctus Megachile aurifrons Megachile semiluctuosa Megachile (Thaumatosoma) duboulaii Meroglossa rubricata Thyreus waroonensis Trichocolletes

Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (subfamily Hylaeinae) is endemic to Western Australia, with most current recorded observations from the midwest down to the southern region of WA.

The male Hylaeus sanguinipictus are known to defend the Banksia inflorescences that they are on against other males, and in fact can be quite a bully against other smaller native bees, especially as they wait to mate with the female of the species.

Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (male), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (male), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (female), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (female), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor

Hylaeus sanguinipictus have been recorded visiting selected banksia species including Banksia menziesii, Banksia prionotes, andBanksia glaucifolia.

This species was first described in 1914 from material collected in Yallingup by Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell as Prosopis sanguinipicta.3

Hylaeus sanguinipictus (and Euryglossinae Euhesma), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus sanguinipictus (and Euryglossinae Euhesma), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus sanguinipictus, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus sanguinipictus, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (on Banksia), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (on Banksia), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (on Banksia), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (on Banksia), Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Subphylum: Hexapoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Informal: Pterygotes
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Superfamily: Apoidea
  • Informal: Apiformes
  • Family: Colletidae
  • Subfamily: Hylaeinae
  • Genus: Hylaeus
  • Subgenus: infrageneric Prosopisteron
  • Species Hylaeus sanguinipictus

Footnote & References

  1. Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus (Cockerell, 1914), Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/https://biodiversity.org.au/afd/taxa/c4a02bab-e13f-4997-b6ea-d31248eae740
  2. Blood-painted Masked Bee (Hylaeus sanguinipictus), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/1141523-Hylaeus-sanguinipictus
  3. Cockerell, T.D.A. (1914). “Descriptions and records of bees. LXII”. Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8 (14): 49–57 [54].

Native Bees — Batavia Coast and Midwest WAAustrothurgus  Euhesma Exoneura Hylaeus (Macrohylaeus) alcyoneus Hylaeus mysterium puella Hylaeus sanguinipictus Leioproctus Megachile aurifrons Megachile semiluctuosa Megachile (Thaumatosoma) duboulaii Meroglossa rubricata Thyreus waroonensis Trichocolletes

Insects — Batavia Coast and Midwest WANative Bees Wasps

The Batavia Coast and Midwest WAFauna

Western AustraliaWestern Australia Fauna Western Australia Flora The Batavia Coast and Midwest WA Bungle Bungles – Purnululu National Park Great Southern WA South West WA Stirling Range National Park