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

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