Blue Banded Bee Photos
by Erica Siegel

Aussie Bee Homepage > New Native Bee Photos > Blue Banded Bees

Erica Siegel kindly contributed the following sensational photographs of blue banded bees (Amegilla) to the Aussie Bee website:

Above: a stunning photo of six blue banded bees settling down for the night on a roost

Above: each blue banded bee grasps the stem of the roost by its jaws.

Above: a particularly charming blue banded bee photograph by Erica Siegel!

Above: blue banded bees like to stay close together when they roost at night

Above: sometimes squabbles erupt as the bees compete for their favourite places on the roost!

Above: similar to the Great Carpenter Bees, blue banded bees are excellent buzz pollinators. This blue banded bee curls her body around the pollen capsules of a Melastoma affine flower then buzzes them with her flight muscles to eject the pollen from the capsules. In this way the blue banded bee collects some pollen for herself and helps to correctly pollinate the flower.

Above: another flower loved by blue banded bees

Above: this blue banded bee is looking for nectar. The brown tube, that she has extended towards this flower, protects her long flexible tongue. Notice too the bright colour markings on this bee's face.

Erica Siegel's New Video of Blue Banded Bees More videos of Blue Banded Bees More Photos of Blue Banded Bees Information on Blue Banded Bees More New Native Bee Photographs