Amegilla chlorocyaneaAmegilla chlorocyanea – blue-banded Amegilla chlorocyanea – bubbling bee

Known as the Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla chlorocyanea) or simply the Amegilla, are a robust looking bee, usually with golden to light-brown head and thorax. Although known as the Blue-banded Bee… they do not all have blue bands, some are white, yellow, pale green, and a number of variations and mixes in between, alternating with the black band.

Amegilla chlorocyanea, Western Australia © Gary Taylor
Amegilla chlorocyanea, Western Australia © Gary Taylor

A native specie to Australia, these solitary bees collect nectar from a variety of plants, including blue, white and yellow flowers.

Amegilla chlorocyanea, Western Australia © Gary Taylor
Amegilla chlorocyanea, Western Australia © Gary Taylor

The Amegilla bees are usually heard as they collect pollen through a process called ‘buzz pollination’. This involves the bees hanging onto the flowers and shaking them at a specific frequency enabling the releasing of the nectar and pollen. These bees are a significant pollinator of many types of crops such as tomatoes and eggplants.

Amegilla chlorocyanea, Geraldton WA © Gary Taylor
Amegilla chlorocyanea, Geraldton WA © Gary Taylor

  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Family: Anthophoridae
  • Subfamily: Apinae
  • Tribe: Anthophorini
  • Genus: Amegilla
  • Species: A chlorocyanea
  • Binomial name: Amegilla chlorocyanea

Footnote & References

  1. Amegilla chlorocyanea Images and content contribution by Gary Taylor, Western Australia

Amegilla chlorocyaneaAmegilla chlorocyanea – blue-banded Amegilla chlorocyanea – bubbling bee

Amegilla BeesApical tergites of females Amegilla Body Colour Amegilla adelaidae Amegilla aeruginosa Amegilla asserta Amegilla chlorocyanea Amegilla walkeri Teddy Bear Bees (Asaropoda)

BeesBees Anatomy Bee Behaviour Blogging Bees… Bees – image index Unidentified Australian Native Bees Amegilla Bees Apis mellifera Austroplebeia australis Austrothurgus  Braunsapis sp Ceylalictus perditellus Colletidae Euryglossinae Exoneura Hyleoides bivulnerata Lasioglossum Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) Lasioglossum (Homalictus) Leioproctus pappus Lipotriches Megachile Meroglossa Stenotritidae Tetragonula Thyreus Xylocopa