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Blue-banded Bee (Amegilla sp.)
Description:
A very rounded solitary bee, slightly smaller than the introduced Honeybee. The abdomen is black with bands of iridescent pale blue hairs. The thorax is brown and furry while the head is dominated by a pair of huge green eyes. The long tongue may be extended as in the photo at right. The high whining sound produced by its hovering flight is likely to be the first thing that makes you aware that one of these bees in nearby. The bee moves very fast but may hover almost motionless for short periods.
Habitat:
The species is known to build tunnel nests in sandstone and in soft mortar in brickwork.
What can we do?:
Planting food plants may encourage this species to enter your garden. An inspection of the internet shows that this species is happy to visit a range of species including Tomatoes and the introduced Buddleja. I have observed them visiting indigenous plants in my own garden including Dianella species and Wahlenbergia communis.