Amegilla cingulata
Encyclopedia
Amegilla cingulata, commonly known as the blue banded bee, is an Australia
n native bee
. It belongs to the Anthophoridae family of insects. Currently, there are several scientific organisations conducting thorough research on how the blue banded bee benefits agriculture through its distinctive "buzz pollination
". These bees are very important for the production of food and contribute to at least 30% of crops in Australia.
entomologist
Johan Christian Fabricius
in 1775. Its specific epithet cingulata is from the Latin word cingulum ("belt") referring to the bee's bands.
, it has pale blue stripes on its abdomen instead of yellow. The male can be distinguished by the number of complete bands, having five as opposed to the females' four. In size, A. cingulata can grow to 10–12 mm (0.393700787401575–0.47244094488189 ). Its appearance includes a golden brown head with bulging eyes that have multiple lenses. They have six sticky legs and a long tongue to help extract nectar from flowers. Scientists believe that male bees have brighter blue stripes to attract female bees.
, Indonesia
, East Timor
and Malaysia. It appears to live in tropical and subtropical regions. The bees inhabit urban area
s, woodlands, forests and heath areas.
s during the night. Like the whole anthophoridae family, they are quick and agile. They are solitary creatures, whereas honey bees create hives.
), grey spider flower (Grevillea buxifolia
) as well as the introduced Abelia grandiflora and lavender (Lavandula species). They also feed on some non-blue flowers such as the white form of Salvia coccinea
, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) flowers,white flowers of Leea indica and some members of the Verbenaceae
family. 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.
, Queensland, Australia
, habitat clearing of river banks and other areas affect A. cingulata. Cane Toad
s, frogs and birds are all common predators of the bee. Human intervention also severely affects A. cingulata. Interestingly, the female neon cuckoo bee Thyreus nitidulus
seeks out the burrow nests of A. cingulata, and lays an egg into a partly completed brood cell while it is unguarded. The larval cuckoo bee then consumes the larder and later emerges from the cell.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n native bee
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
. It belongs to the Anthophoridae family of insects. Currently, there are several scientific organisations conducting thorough research on how the blue banded bee benefits agriculture through its distinctive "buzz pollination
Buzz pollination
Sonication or buzz pollination is a technique used by some bees to release pollen which is more or less firmly held by the anthers, which makes pollination more efficient. The anther of buzz-pollinated species of plants is typically tubular, with an opening at only one end, and the pollen is inside...
". These bees are very important for the production of food and contribute to at least 30% of crops in Australia.
Taxonomy
A. cingulata was first described by DanishDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
entomologist
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
in 1775. Its specific epithet cingulata is from the Latin word cingulum ("belt") referring to the bee's bands.
Description
A. cingulata has a very striking appearance. Unlike the honey beeHoney bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
, it has pale blue stripes on its abdomen instead of yellow. The male can be distinguished by the number of complete bands, having five as opposed to the females' four. In size, A. cingulata can grow to 10–12 mm (0.393700787401575–0.47244094488189 ). Its appearance includes a golden brown head with bulging eyes that have multiple lenses. They have six sticky legs and a long tongue to help extract nectar from flowers. Scientists believe that male bees have brighter blue stripes to attract female bees.
Distribution and habitat
Although A. cingulata is native to Australia, it is also found in Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, East Timor
East Timor
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
and Malaysia. It appears to live in tropical and subtropical regions. The bees inhabit urban area
Urban area
An urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
s, woodlands, forests and heath areas.
Behaviour
Blue banded bees can sting but are not as aggressive as other bees. The males cling to plant stemPlant stem
A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
s during the night. Like the whole anthophoridae family, they are quick and agile. They are solitary creatures, whereas honey bees create hives.
Diet
A. cingulata collects the majority of its nectar from blue flowers, although others investigated include mountain devil (Lambertia formosaLambertia formosa
Lambertia formosa, commonly known as Mountain Devil, is a shrub of the family Proteaceae endemic to New South Wales, Australia. First described by English botanist James Edward Smith in 1798, its specific name formosa is the Latin adjective for 'handsome'. No subspecies are recognised...
), grey spider flower (Grevillea buxifolia
Grevillea buxifolia
Grevillea buxifolia is a species of the family Proteaceae. It grows in coastal New South Wales, Australia. First described in 1793 by James Edward Smith, he gave the new species the name 'Embothrium buxifolium'. It is widely cultivated and contains a numbers of subspecies and cultivars...
) as well as the introduced Abelia grandiflora and lavender (Lavandula species). They also feed on some non-blue flowers such as the white form of Salvia coccinea
Salvia coccinea
Salvia coccinea is a herbaceous perennial in the Lamiaceae family that is widespread throughout the Southeastern United States, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and northern South America...
, tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) flowers,white flowers of Leea indica and some members of the Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae
Verbenaceae, commonly known as the verbena family or vervain family, is a family of mainly tropical flowering plants. It contains trees, shrubs and herbs notable for heads, spikes, or clusters of small flowers, many of which have an aromatic smell.Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that...
family. 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.
Life cycle
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.Threats
A. cingulata has many threats and predators. Around the Caboolture RiverCaboolture River
The Caboolture River is a small river in South East Queensland. It rises in the D'Aguilar Range near Ocean View and flows through Caboolture and Morayfield before entering Deception Bay at Beachmere....
, Queensland, Australia
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, habitat clearing of river banks and other areas affect A. cingulata. Cane Toad
Cane Toad
The Cane Toad , also known as the Giant Neotropical Toad or Marine Toad, is a large, terrestrial true toad which is native to Central and South America, but has been introduced to various islands throughout Oceania and the Caribbean...
s, frogs and birds are all common predators of the bee. Human intervention also severely affects A. cingulata. Interestingly, the female neon cuckoo bee Thyreus nitidulus
Thyreus nitidulus
Thyreus nitidulus, commonly known as the neon cuckoo bee, is a parasitic bee of the genus Thyreus, also called Cuckoo Bees. It is a stocky bee, notable for its brilliant metallic blue and black banded colors....
seeks out the burrow nests of A. cingulata, and lays an egg into a partly completed brood cell while it is unguarded. The larval cuckoo bee then consumes the larder and later emerges from the cell.