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Sugarbag Bees
Tetragonula carbonaria (previously known as Trigona carbonaria)
-27.4531, 152.872
Field Notes
Description:
Australia has around 12 species of native bees that live in hives and which do not sting! Common names for this species include native stingless bee, Australian stingless bee, or simply... bush bee. They are small (about 3-5 mm in length), compact, and black with whitish hairs on the side of the thorax. The brood comb of this species is a characteristic horizontal spiral. They produce a unique type of tangy honey called ‘sugarbag’, but each hive can only produce a small amount (up to one kilogram) of honey per year. This honey has been shown to have substantial germ-killing and medicinal properties. NB: I have selected the species Tetragonula carbonaria for this spotting simply because it is the most common species in the Brisbane area. Free free to make an ID suggestion if you think it may be another species. The 2nd reference link is awesome and has photos of several species.
Habitat:
These bees were spotted on blue billygoat weed, aka floss flower (Ageratum houstonianum), an invasive weed species that seems to be of some benefit to native wildlife. This spotting was on the bank of the freshwater creek that flows into Gold Creek Reservoir, which lies just to the west of Brisbane. Freshwater lake, and dense native bushland vegetation of dry eucalypt forests and subtropical rainforests.
Notes:
It is very difficult to get decent photos of these bees. They are so small and lightning fast! Faster than me and my camera, that's for sure. I did enjoy watching them though.
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