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ANIMAL SPECIES:Masked bees

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Masked bees get their name from their distinctive yellow or white markings on their face.

Size range

3 mm - 11 mm

Distribution

Masked bees are found throughout Australia.

Habitat

Masked bees live in urban areas, forests and woodlands, and heath. Many species nest in twigs, branches and reeds. As a group they are more abundant and diversified in Australia than anywhere else in the world, probably because of the variety of eucalypt trees available for pollen and nesting.

Behaviour and adaptations

Feeding and Diet

The female of one exceptional masked bee, Hylaeus bicolorellus, is known to use its specially adapted jaws to chew into flower buds before they open. This is, in effect, stealing the pollen because the flower has no opportunity to be pollinated. The bee was, until recently, thought to be rare and unusual

Other behaviours and adaptations

Hylaeus perhumilis is a common masked bee around Sydney. It occurs in large numbers around flowering eucalypt and Angophora trees. It is small (4 mm) with a mostly black, elongated body and has yellow areas on its face and legs.

Hylaeus nubilosus is another common masked bee that has a typical white masked face and a yellow patch on its back-another common feature of this group. It visits a range of native flowers.

Classification

Genus:
Hylaeus
Subfamily:
Hylaeinae
Family:
Colletidae
Superfamily:
Apoidea
Suborder:
Apocrita
Order:
Hymenoptera
Class:
Insecta
Subphylum:
Uniramia
Phylum:
Arthopoda
Kingdom:
Animalia

What does this mean?


Last Updated: 19 May 2009

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Masked Bee Specimen

Masked Bee Specimen View full size
Andrew Donnelly © Australian Museum

Masked Bee specimen from front

Masked Bee specimen from front View full size
Andrew Donnelly © Australian Museum

Masked Bee specimen from side

Masked Bee specimen from side View full size
Andrew Donnelly © Australian Museum

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