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

From the genus Ceylalictus (prounounced “sail-a-lick-tuss”), there is only one Australian species of this group, Ceylalitus perditellus. There is known to be considerable colour variation among this species, with those found on the west coast of Australia (specifically WA) to be more heavily yellow-marked then those on the eastern coast of Australia.1

The following series of images were taken in a garden in Alice Springs feeding on the flower spike of a ponytail palm (Beaucarnea recurvata).

Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT
Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT
Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT
Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT
Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT
Ceylalictus perditellus native bee, Alice Springs, NT

In the following images, the Ceylalictus perditellus was captured by a lynx spider.

Many thanks to Tobias Smith for ID of this bee species, Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), Facebook group.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • Family: Halictidae
  • Genus: Ceylalictus
  • Species: Ceylalictus perditellus

Footnote & References

  1. A Guide to Native Bees of Australia, by Dr Terry Houston, CSIRO Publishing, p 195-196
  2. A Guide to Native Bees of Australia, by Dr Terry Houston, CSIRO Publishing, ISBN 978-1-4863-0406-6
  3. Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/groups/beeawareofyournativebees/

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