HOMALICTUS BEES (Homalictus)
Aussie Bee > Native Bee Photo Gallery > Homalictus Bees
With glints of aqua blue, golden green and orange, these Homalictus bees make a stunning sight! Most less than 8 mm long, these bees are tiny living gems.
Erica Siegel has kindly contributed a series of stunning Homalictus photos that are featured on this page:
Above: Erica Siegel's beautiful photo shows the glittering metallic green thorax of this tiny Homalictus urbanus bee.
Above: this image by Aussie Bee shows two other Homalictus species with orange, green and blue tints.
Homalictus Bees may nest in deep burrows in the ground. In some species many female Homalictus Bees share a single nest burrow, though they all lay eggs. For instance, one Homalictus urbanus nest was reported to be occupied by at least 160 females.
Above: a superb photo by Erica Siegel showing the fine detail and bronze tints of a Homalictus brisbanensis bee.
Homalictus Bees carry pollen on soft fine feathery hair underneath the abdomen, as well as on their hind legs, as shown in the following photo by Erica Siegel. [Leafcutter Bees and Resin Bees also carry pollen under the abdomen, but in these two groups the pollen is held on stiff straight bristles and they do not carry pollen on their legs.]
Above: a Homalictus brisbanensis bee carrying pollen in a thick pad underneath the abdomen as well as on the hind leg. Photo by Erica Siegel.
Above: another delightful photo by Erica Siegel of a Homalictus urbanus bee on a Salvia.
The Homalictus Bees belong to family Halictidae and are found Australia-wide.
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