Types of Bees in Australia
Ever wondered what the difference is between a honey bee and a native bee?
Read on to discover a few of the bee types we have in Australia, home to more than 1,500 native bee species.
Australia, the land of surf, sunshine and native bees!
Globally there are approximately 20,000 different types of bees, and in Australia we are lucky to have over 1,500 native bee species in a range of shapes and sizes. Our bees are critical to the sustainability of our food supply, with an astonishing one third of Australian food dependent on honey bee pollination.
From almonds to avocados, pumpkins and berries, bees are vital for the pollination and production of many of our favourite foods! You can learn more about this here.
What is the difference between native bees and honey bees?
We’re so glad you asked. Australian native bees can be solitary or social bees, while honey bees live together in a nest or hive. Honey bees are generally stronger pollinators, but the smaller native bees can access smaller flowers and also play an important role in pollination. Let’s look at their unique characteristics a bit further:
Native Australian Bees
Some Australian native bees are solitary bees, meaning they don’t live as a colony in a nest or hive, nor do they have Queen or worker bees. Thanks to their evolution over hundreds of years in Australia, they come in a range of sizes from 2mm to 4cm long and can be fluffy, shiny, single-coloured or brightly coloured. A few types include:Teddy Bear Bees
Teddy Bear Bees (Amegilla bombiformis): Furry and oh-so-cute, these native Australian bees are excellent pollinators and found all over Australia, except for Tasmania. Teddy Bear Bees use a technique of “buzz pollination” to help flowers release as much pollen as possible. They vibrate their wings and body at a very specific frequency to trigger the pollen release, which is required by plants including tomatoes, capsicums, and blueberries.
Carpenter Bees
Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa aerata): With an incredible metallic green and gold colouring, these native Australian pollinator bees burrow their own homes in wood, giving them their name.
Cuckoo Bees
Cuckoo Bees (Thyreus nitidulus, Thyreus caeruleopunctatus, Thyreus lugubris): Magnificent in colour, cuckoo bees display chequered, striped or spotted abdomens in vibrant blue and white hues. Like their namesake, these bees laying their eggs in the nests of other bees.
Quasihesma Bees
Quasihesma Bees (Euryglossina clypearis): Australia’s smallest native bee is found in northern Australia and can be as small as 1.8mm. This tiny little pollinator has a distinct black body and yellow face, and loves to forage Eucalypt flowers.
Honey Bees in Australia
Scientifically known as Apis mellifera, Western (or European) honey bees are undoubtedly the most industrious creatures on the planet. They are also the most well-known bee, living together in a colony, and this colony lives in a nest. Some nests are wild, while others are kept by humans (we call them beekeepers) and live in beehives. The first honey bees arrived in Australia from England in 1822, aboard a ship called the “Isabella” and quickly adapted to our conditions here. Early settlers used bees for producing honey and pollinating their crops. Later, honey bees arrived from different parts of the world, such as Italy, Southeast and Central Europe, and North America. There are three sub-species of the European honey bee in Australia and most Australian beehives have a hybridisations of these species:Italian Bees
Italian bees (Apis mellifera, ligustica) are thought to originate from the continental part of Italy, south of the Alps, and north of Sicily. It said they may have survived the last Ice Age in Italy! These bees have uniform colouring and are yellow to brown in appearance. They are favoured for their large colonies and brood nest size.
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