Creature feature - Amegilla bees
These very common but impossible-to-photograph bees are sometimes referred to a "zebra bum bees" and the name is rather apt because they look a lot like honeybees, except that they have black and white stripes on their abdomens. They are very difficult to photograph because they fly very fast and they are skittish: if they are busy on a flower and you start pointing cameras at them, they always fly away. The only way to take pictures of them is with special equipment, which I don't have, so this rare moment of one resting on a haworthia flower stalk will have to do. They rather like the haworthia flowers and I suspect that the pollination that happened outside was their handiwork because I have never seen honey bees go near the haworthia flowers. I sowed some of the seeds from pods that resulted.
While I have been watching them, I saw some rather unusual behaviour: the bee lands on the flower stalk and starts rubbing its back legs very fast and I learned that the vibration causes pollen shedding in the flowers. They are important pollinators of specific plants but they don't make honey. The pollen and nectar that they collect is for their own consumption, as well as to feed their brood. They are solitary bees and the female constructs a little burrow in clay to raise her young in while the males sleep on grass stalks at night, holding on with their mouthparts.
They can sting but they generally don't, the only way you might be stung by one of these bees is by accident, they are not aggressive.
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You did really well to capture this bee, it's hard not to be inspired.
Interesting information and very beautiful photo!
These bees quickly fly away because they do not want to be photographed for free! :-))
Wonderful detailed photo. They have very impressive antennas. :-)
Nice work!! You have the patience to get this photo!! This one looks very cute!
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These bees are very intelligent creatures. As a child, my father had a small apiary. Just a few hives. My father loved bees and always cared for them. What is surprising the bees never stung him. They could crawl over him and he carefully removed them and planted them on flowers. In the hive has always been a lot of honey. My father always cut me honey comb. To date, I have never tasted such tasty honey as in childhood.
What unusual little bees! I like their black and white stripes.