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) Lipotriches Megachile Meroglossa Stenotritidae Tetragonula Thyreus Xylocopa

In Australia there are five main bee families: Apidae, Colletidae, Halictidae, Megachilidae and Stenotritidae, of which there are many Australian native bees yet to be described and identified to genus and/or species level.

  • Apidae (173 species)
  • Colletidae (883 species)
  • Halictidae (383 species)
  • Megachilidae (169 species)
  • Stenotritidae (being revised – between 16 and 21 species)

There is thought to be some 2,000 species of native bees in Australia.1 Whilst some of the 2,000 have been described, there are many native bees yet to be studied and identified, some in old collections in museum drawers, others still living and un-recorded…

Following we present some unidentified native bees… we await science to catch up… but if you are able to identify them, please drop us a line on our contact us form or post to Facebook group Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia) or Travel Australia with Ausemade Facebook page.

Unknown bee (Homalictus), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Unknown bee (Leioproctus), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Unknown bee (Homalictus), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor
Unknown bee (likely Lasioglossum (Homalictus) urbanum), Midwest WA © Gary Taylor

Following is suggested that it is Hylaeus (Prosopisteron) simplus, photographed in Geraldton, Midwest of Western Australia.

Following is the mystery girl name… Hylaeus mysterium puella.


  • Scientific classification
  • Kingdom: Animalia
  • Phylum: Arthropoda
  • Class: Insecta
  • Order: Hymenoptera
  • (unranked): Unicalcarida
  • Suborder: Apocrita
  • Superfamily: Apoidea
  • Clade: Anthophila
  • Families:
    • Apidae
    • Colletidae
    • Halictidae
    • Megachilidae
    • Stenotritidae

Footnote & References

  1. Can you beelieve?! Our guide to native bees, by Eliza Keckm, 30 Aug 2018, CSIROscope, https://blog.csiro.au/can-you-beelieve-our-guide-to-native-bees/
  2. Bees (Epifamily Anthophila), iNaturalistAU, https://inaturalist.ala.org.au/taxa/630955-Anthophila
  3. Bee Aware of Your Native Bees (Australia), Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/1493769094196721

BeesBees Anatomy Bees Antenna It’s in the eyes Pre-pygidial fimbria Wings of the bee Bee Behaviour Bubbling Bees Buzz Pollination Operculum lifting behaviour Blogging Bees… Bees – image index Unidentified Australian Native Bees Amegilla Bees Apical tergites of females Amegilla Amegilla Bee Body Colour Amegilla adelaidae Amegilla aeruginosa Amegilla asserta Amegilla chlorocyanea Amegilla walkeri Teddy Bear Bees (Asaropoda) Apis mellifera Dark Apis mellifera Apis mellifera — Captured flora moments Austroplebeia australis Austrothurgus  Austrothurgus rubricatus Braunsapis sp Ceylalictus perditellus Colletidae Amphylaeus obscuriceps Hylaeus spp – Masked Bee Callomelitta antipodes Leioproctus Neopasiphae mirabilis Paracolletes crassipes Paracolletes nigrocinctus Trichocolletes Euryglossinae Euryglossinae Index Callohesma Dasyhesma Euhesma Eurglossa adelaidae Euryglossa calaina Euryglossa ephippiata Euryglossina fuscescens Xanthesma Exoneura Hyleoides bivulnerata Lasioglossum Lasioglossum (Australictus) peraustrale Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) brunnesetum Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) lanarium Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) willsi Lasioglossum (Chilalictus) Lasioglossum (Homalictus) Lasioglossum (Homalictus) dotatum Lasioglossum (Homalictus) urbanum Lipotriches Lipotriches australica Lipotriches flavoviridis Lipotriches gracilipes Lipotriches muscosa Lipotriches phanerura Megachile Megachile aurifrons Megachile erythropyga Megachile (Eutricharaea) Megachile (Hackeriapis) canifrons Megachile (Hackeriapis) rhodura Megachile punctata Megachile (Rhodomegachile) deanii Megachile semiluctuosa Megachile (Thaumatosoma) Megachile ustulata Meroglossa Meroglossa impressifrons Meroglossa rubricata Stenotritidae Ctenocolletes albomarginatus Leioproctus (Protomorpha) sp Ctenocolletes rufescens Tetragonula Tetragonula carbonaria Thyreus Thyreus caeruleopunctatus Thyreus waroonensis Xylocopa Xylocopa aerata Xylocopa bombylans