BeesBees Anatomy Bee Behaviour Blogging Bees… Bees – image index Bees – Index Lists 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
The Leioproctus pappus on Australian smoke bush (Conospermum sp).
…a small group of bees and their interesting association with certain species of the plant genus Conospermum Smith in south-western Australia. Conospermum is an endemic Australian genus of about 40 species, 29 of which occur in Western Australia (Rye 1987), Some species (those with zygomorphic flowers) are reported to have an unusual. explosive, pollen release mechanism (Carolin 1961, Holm 1978). These authors presumed that insects, probably flies, were responsible for triggering the mechanism, but no records of Conospermum pollinators have been published.
An unusual feature of two of the bee species deseribed here is that their males (and to a lesser extent. their females) are conspicuously modified for concealment on the hoary flowers of their forage plants Ihis is novel and I am unaware of any reports of bee camouflage.
Source: Leioproctus bees associated with Western Australian smoke bushes…, Terry F. Houston2
The following bee on the same bush is Leioproctus species, possibly Leioproctus conospermi.
Following is the Australian smoke bush (Conospermum sp) that the Leioproctus pappus was on.
Footnote & References
- Photographs / Leioproctus pappus, Geraldton, Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
- Leioproctus bees associated with Western Australian smoke bushes (Conospermum spp.) and their adaptations for foraging and concealment (Hymenoptera: Colletidae: Paracolletini), Terry F, Houston, Western Australian Museum, https://museum.wa.gov.au/sites/default/files/LEIOPROCTUS%20BEES%20ASSOCIATED%20WITH%20WESTERN%20AUSTRALIAN%20SMOKE%20BUSHES%20(CONOSPERMUM%20SPP.)%20AND%20THEIR%20ADAPTATIONS%20FOR%20FORAGING%20AND%20.pdf
- Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), https://www.facebook.com/groups/beeawareofyournativebees/
BeesBees Anatomy Bee Behaviour Blogging Bees… Bees – image index Bees – Index Lists 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
