Bees (Hymenoptera, Apiformes)
An introduction to Australian Native Bees can be found here:
https://www.aussiebee.com.au/beesinyourarea.html
The identification of bees from photographs can be difficult as tiny details on the animals have to be seen. Michael Batley, our moderator for bees has begun a trial identification tool for bees. The test groups are Megachilid bees and Hylaeine bees found in the Sydney basin and Blue Mountains.
If you want to try the identification tools, the addresses for the two groups are below:-
Announcements
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Discussion
PeterA
wrote:
10 Feb 2026
I think this is the male of https://canberra.naturemapr.org/sightings/4720383. The facial hair is pale yellow and you can just about see the modified rear abdomen - teeth appearance.
Megachile (Eutricharaea) serricauda
PeterA
wrote:
10 Feb 2026
Not a carder bee, Alison - the abdominal bands are hairs in this case, but very worn. A female.
Megachile (Eutricharaea) serricauda
PeterA
wrote:
8 Feb 2026
Not M. serricauda - it has golden hair on rear abdomen. Might be M. tosticauda with very worn abdomen hair.
Megachile sp. (several subgenera)
Significant sightings
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Acton, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Acton, ACT
- Leioproctus (Andrenopsis) wilsoni at Bruce, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Yarralumla, ACT
- Hylaeus (Euprosopoides) perplexus at Murrumbateman, NSW
- Megachile (Rhodomegachile) deanii at Acton, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Acton, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Theodore, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Acton, ACT
- Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata at Gundaroo, NSW
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