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Lipotriches australica
These are an Australian native bee & members of the family Halictidae. They are about a cm long with golden bands on their abdomen & golden fur on their face. During the day male Nomia bees forage for nectar but at night hundreds of them gather together, clinging onto grass stems. Nobody really knows why they do this but it is a behaviour that some other bees, including blue-banded bees, also show. The behaviour of the females is slightly better understood. Up to three share a nest burrowed into the soil. They take turns guarding the entrance, blocking it with their face during the day and their abdomen at night. - Australian Musem
Nomia bees live in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and heath. Most species nest in the ground and a number of females use the entrance and main shaft but dig their own tunnel off to the side. - Australian Museum
Spotted on Oct 16, 2013
Submitted on Mar 5, 2014
5 Comments
They were so cool kd. Like I said, took me a sec to work out what I was looking at :)
It would be an exciting fin for you Leanne! Lovely photos, almost sculptural in the way the bees have positioned themselves.
Thanks Stephen. It was my first sighting of these guys. Took me a double-take to see what I was actually looking at! Thanks Mark lol
Nice spotting Leanne. Reception must be excellent with all those antennae.
Amazing image! These are my favourite little critturs when I am in the garden