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.

The adult is seen flying low and fast through open landscapes such as parklands, gardens and grazed paddocks where introduced foodplants such as Capeweed are common. The impression is of a medium-sized butterfly, orange with black and white markings. Up close, the perched individual can be seen to have a pattern of black and orange. The underside is more cryptically marked with mottled patterns.