Neopasiphae mirabilisFlower Selection Male and Female Nesting

Photographs © Marc Newman ◦

Great excitement on the discovery of the female Neopasiphae mirabilis. Our stop 20 km north of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Road revealed a nesting site for these bees.

Neopasiphae mirabilis female (nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Neopasiphae mirabilis female at nesting site © Marc Newman

Covering an area of about 10 to 15 metres, along the side of the road, this is typical terrain and looks hard digging. They particularly seemed to like digging under pebbles.

Neopasiphae mirabilis female (nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Neopasiphae mirabilis female at nesting site © Marc Newman
Hard digging for the Neopasiphae mirabilis female (nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Hard digging terrain for the Neopasiphae mirabilis © Marc Newman
Digging under the pebble - Neopasiphae mirabilis female (nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Digging under the pebble – Neopasiphae mirabilis female © Marc Newman

Also in the same locality is the following Felt Ant (female wingless Wasp) patrolling the area. Not sure if she was a problem for the bees.

Felt ant (Female wingless Wasp), nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Felt ant (Female wingless Wasp), nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman

Another Felt Ant, I assume a different species.

Felt ant, nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Felt Ant, nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman

Gasteruptiid wasp, male also patrolling the nesting site. I’m told they do no harm to the bees but I don’t like the look in their eyes 🙂

Male Gasteruptiid wasp, nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman
Male Gasteruptiid Wasp, nth of Mullewa on the Carnarvon-Mullewa Rd WA © Marc Newman

Gasteruptiids are dyed-in-the-wool parasites of bees and sometimes wasps, thus harming individual host´s offspring. In a broader ecological perspective they are doing only limited harm, as they can´t saw off the branch they are sitting on entirely. By their habits they are enhancing species diversity.

Bernhard Jacobi

Footnote & References

  1. Photographs Neopasiphae mirabilis, Coalseam NP, WA © Marc Newman, Flickr, https://flickr.com/photos/koolbee/albums

Neopasiphae mirabilisFlower Selection Male and Female Nesting

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

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