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
Known as Bush Bees, the stingless bee Austroplebeia australis, has been previously documented in Queensland and into northern New South Wales. It was formerly known as Trigona australis.
The following images are of the Austroplebeia australis native bee that had fallen on its back into the nectar of the lotus flower, as it struggles to get out.
The Austroplebeia australis having fallen into the lotus flower nectar onto its back, struggled to climb up on one of the anthers to get out.
We stuck a dried piece of grass stem into the lotus flower, which allowed the bee to clamber out of the nectar and the lotus flower. It stretched open its wings and shook itself a few times, then flew off.
Many thanks to Max SilverBerry for ID of this bee species, and thanks to Cath McInnes and Gary Taylor for your confirmation, Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), Facebook group.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Subphylum: Hexapoda
- Class: Insecta
- Informal: Pterygotes
- Order: Hymenoptera
- Superfamily: Apoidea
- Informal: Apiformes
- Family: Apidae
- Subfamily: Apinae
- Tribe: Meliponini
- Genus: Austroplebeia
- Species: Austroplebeia australis
Footnote & References
- Many thanks to ID by members of the Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/beeawareofyournativebees/
- Stingless Bees (Tetragonula & Austroplebeia), Aussie Bee, https://www.aussiebee.com.au/tetragonula-and-austroplebeia.html
- Austroplebeia australis, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austroplebeia_australis (last visited Jan. 29, 2022)
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