Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Sugarbag Bee

Tetragonula carbonaria (previously known as Trigona carbonaria)

Photo by Neil Ross
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

-27.5084, 153.018

Field Notes

Description:

Sugarbag Bees are Australian native honey bees, also known as Australian Stingless Bees, Native Stingless Bees, and Sweat Bees. The bees are small in size and do not string. They are black in colour with hairy extended hind legs for carrying nectar and pollens.

Habitat:

They build their nest inside living or dead tree trunks. This species is common in Brisbane.

Notes:

I found this poor bee drowning in a bucket of water. Not knowing what species it was, and definitely not wanting to be stung, I fished it out with a small leaf and placed it in the sun to dry. It died only minutes after I took these photos.

Reference Links:

Tetragonula carbonaria, Native Stingless Bee - Trigona carbonaria

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (2)
Neil Ross
Can you show me how it's done? Tiny breaths, I would imagine ;-) Brisbaneinsects.com say Trigona sp. and Austroplebia sp. look very similar but Trigona carbonaria is very common in Brisbane. I'll settle for this ID.
Mark Ridgway
You'll have to learn BCPR. We swapped our buckets for bowls with climbable edges. Good ID job. There's so many Aus stingless bees.

Spotted for Missions

Mission
WILD Cities: Urban Biodiversity
Mission
Wilds of South-East Queensland
Mission
Entomologica of Queensland
Mission
Wildlife of Brisbane

Tags

Photographed
PublishedMarch 17, 2014

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies