ColletidaeAmphylaeus obscuriceps Anthoglossa nigrocinctus Callomelitta antipodes Hylaeinae Leioproctus Hylaeus spp – Masked Bee Neopasiphae mirabilis Paracolletes crassipes Trichocolletes

The subfamily Hylaeinae, is commonly known as Masked Bees, because of the coloured pattern mask on their faces, and belong to the family Colletidae (Plasterer Bees).

The species vary from very small to moderately sized, with size variation also recorded within species. The males usually have more colour than the females. Both sexes have very little hair on the bodies, the females carry nectar and pollen back to the nest in their crop (honey-stomach).

Their nests are usually in stems or holes in wood. The brood chambers have a cellophane looking lining.

Hylaeinae, Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeinae, Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Rhodohylaeus) proximus on Eggs and Bacon (bee is 5.5 mm), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman
Hylaeus (Rhodohylaeus) proximus on Eggs and Bacon (bee is 5.5 mm), Ballandean QLD © Marc Newman
Hylaeus trilobatus, ACT © Danny Thomas
Hylaeus trilobatus, ACT © Danny Thomas
Hylaeus (Rhodohylaeus) constrictiformis © Marc Newman
Hylaeus (Rhodohylaeus) constrictiformis © Marc Newman
Hylaeus (Macrohylaeus) alcyoneus (female), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Macrohylaeus) alcyoneus (female), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus on spent Banksia glaucifolia flowers, Badgingarra National Park WA © Jean and Fred Hort
Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) sanguinipictus, Badgingarra National Park WA © Jean and Fred Hort

I put this together a little while ago. I have hundreds, if not thousands of bee images I’ve never posted here, so I selected a few and went from there. Each female bee here is a different species, and there are a few males to match the females too. I hope you enjoy it, and that it helps showcase just how beautiful and diverse our Hylaeine bees are.
— Danny Thomas

Hylaeine Bees — Canberra © Danny Thomas
Hylaeinae with view of the antenna © Gary Taylor
Hylaeinae, 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:
    • Amphylaeus Michener, 1965
    • Hemirhiza Michener, 1965
    • Hylaeus Fabricius, 1793
    • Hyleoides Smith, 1853
    • Meroglossa Smith, 1853
    • Palaeorhiza Perkins, 1908
    • Pharohylaeus Michener, 1965

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs contribution © Gary Taylor
  2. Photograph / video contribution © Danny Thomas
  3. Photographs contribution © Jean and Fred Hort
  4. Photographs contribution © Marc Newman
  5. Hylaeinae, Atlas of Living Australia, https://bie.ala.org.au/species/Hylaeinae
  6. Subfamily Hylaeinae, iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/574753-Hylaeinae
  7. Sydney hylaeine, Michael Batley, https://michaelbatley.github.io/Bee-ID-SH/main.htm
  8. The Diversification, Biogeography, And Body Size Evolution Of Australian Hylaeine And Euryglossine Bees, by pelin Kayaalp B. Sc. Hons., School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, https://flex.flinders.edu.au/file/9ebab586-8994-466e-94dd-019f197e78e1/1/Thesis-Kayaalp-2011-02whole.pdf
  9. A revision of the Australian hylaeine bees (Hymenoptera : Colletidae). II., TF Houston, Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 29(80) 1 – 128, Published: 1981, CSIRO, https://www.publish.csiro.au/zs/ajzs080

ColletidaeAmphylaeus obscuriceps Anthoglossa nigrocinctus Callomelitta antipodes Hylaeinae Leioproctus Hylaeus spp – Masked Bee Neopasiphae mirabilis Paracolletes crassipes Trichocolletes

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