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Blue Banded Bee

Amegilla cingulata

Description:

The genus Amegilla is common species throughout the Asia-Pacific region from China all the way to Australia. This bee has a very striking appearance. There are many different species in this genus. Blue-banded bees are so called because their abdomens are striped with brilliant blue or blue-green on black. They can sting but are not as aggressive as other bees. The males cling to plant stems during the night. Like the whole anthophoridae family, they are quick and agile. They are solitary creatures, whereas honey bees create hives. A. cingulata collects the majority of its nectar from blue flowers, although they also feed on some non-blue flowers. The bees use a process that involves clinging onto flowers and vibrating powerfully, which causes the food source to shoot out. They only have a limited foraging range of 300 m, while females make at least nine foraging flights per day. Amegilla cingulata builds a solitary nest, but often close to one another. It prefers soft sandstone to burrow in, and areas of this type of rock can become riddled with bee tunnels. Blue banded bees also tend to nest in burrows, dried up river banks, old clay homes and in mortar between bricks. Cells at the end of tunnels contain an egg with a pollen/nectar mixture for emerging larvae

Habitat:

Seen on a Lantana plant in my garden. The bees inhabit urban areas, woodlands, forests and heath areas.

Notes:

Details from wikipedia.

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128 Comments (1–25)

Felix Fleck
Felix Fleck 7 years ago

Great info! Thanks.

Wild Things
Wild Things 8 years ago

Thanks a lot Neil and Frederic :)

Frederic Ansermoz
Frederic Ansermoz 8 years ago

That's a good looking one!
First time I see it. Thanks for sharing.

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 8 years ago

Haha Not on your life!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 8 years ago

sounds like the elastic just went

Neil Ross
Neil Ross 8 years ago

Snap!! I have pajama pants just the same. He's a cute little guy. Great photo.

Wild Things
Wild Things 9 years ago

Thanks :)

HazelMarley
HazelMarley 9 years ago

Great picture. I love blue.

Wild Things
Wild Things 10 years ago

Thanks Vivian!

vivianpoma
vivianpoma 10 years ago

amazing color

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks macaul. My camera is the size of a normal dslr, and the lens is a 100-400mm telephoto zoom lens.

mcaul6515
mcaul6515 11 years ago

Wow! How big is your camera!

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Great job Pam!

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

and getting closer still...
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/179...
Now there are many of them in the garden.

pamsai
pamsai 11 years ago

Hi Satyan... getting closer to getting a good shot of this Blue-banded Bee that lives in my garden!
http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/170...
the new camera helps!

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks Scott.

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks Ashish!

Ashish Nimkar
Ashish Nimkar 11 years ago

Congrats Satyen..

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thank you Braulio!

Braulio Rivas Tapia
Braulio Rivas Tapia 11 years ago

Congrats!
Such an amazing combination of colors and contrast!

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks a lot Atul!

Atul
Atul 11 years ago

Congratulations Buddy for the well deserved Selection :)

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks Leanne.

LeanneGardner
LeanneGardner 11 years ago

Congratulations Satyen!

Wild Things
Wild Things 11 years ago

Thanks Jeannette, gatorfellows and Mac.

Wild Things
Spotted by
Wild Things

Boisar, Maharashtra, India

Spotted on Mar 25, 2012
Submitted on Mar 25, 2012

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