Amegilla pulchra
| Amegilla pulchra | |
|---|---|
| |
| Male | |
Scientific classification 
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Amegilla |
| Species: | A. pulchra
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| Binomial name | |
| Amegilla pulchra | |
| Synonyms | |
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Amegilla pulchra or Amegilla (Zonamegilla) pulchra is a species of digger bee. It is native to Australia. It was described in 1854 by English entomologist Frederick Smith, and redescribed by Remko Leys, Michael Batley and Katja Hogendoorn in 2017.[1][2][3]
Description
The body length of the species is 12–14 mm, forewing length 8–9 mm. It has ivory face marks and bands of pale blue or white fur on the tergites.[2]
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Victoria, mainly east of the Great Dividing Range, and is thought to have been introduced to Fiji.[2][3]
Behaviour
The adults are flying mellivores with sedentary larvae. They nest gregariously in soil burrows, in mortar between bricks, and in mud-bricks. Females are attracted to old nests. Flowering plants visited by the bees include Hypochaeris, Ipomoea, Leptospermum and Solanum species.[3]
References
- ^ a b Smith, F (1854). Catalogue of Hymenopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Part II. Apidae. London: British Museum. pp. 199–465 [335].
- ^ a b c d Leijs, Remko; Batley, Michael; Hogendoorn, Katja (2017). "The genus Amegilla (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Anthophorini) in Australia: A revision of the subgenera Notomegilla and Zonamegilla". ZooKeys (653): 79–140 [126]. Bibcode:2017ZooK..653...79L. doi:10.3897/zookeys.653.11177.
- ^ a b c d "Species Amegilla (Zonamegilla) pulchra (Smith, 1854)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2025. Retrieved 2026-01-02.