Banksia bee
Encyclopedia
The Banksia bee is a bee
species endemic to Australia
where it is commonly found in the coastal heath
s of eastern and southern Western Australia
. This bee is an important pollinator
of Banksia
species.
The banksia bee was originally described by German entomologist Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson
in 1842; its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek
halcyon "kingfisher" relating to its kingfisher blue colour.
The banksia bee has a metallic blue abdomen and yellow face markings. The species is notable amongst bees for sexual dimorphism
—the males of the species are significantly larger than the females; in most other types of bee, females are larger than males. Males of different sizes have been shown to display different feeding behaviour. Large males perch and defend Banksia inflorescence
s that are in high positions on the shrub where they feed; small males feed closer to the ground and patrol circuits including several inflorescences. Displacement of large males from the perches is almost always by an even larger male.
Western Australian banksias that the bee has been recorded visiting include Banksia ashbyi
, B. coccinea
, B. hookeriana
, B. ilicifolia
, B. menziesii
, B. prionotes
, B. sessilis, and B. speciosa
. Other species include Allocasuarina campestris, Grevillea cagiana, G. eriostachya
, Isopogon dubius
, and Xanthorrhoea
species.
The Banksia bee faces competition from the introduced European honey bee (Apis mellifera). In sites where the species coexist, the Banksia bee has significantly fewer nests that it has on sites where there is no competition. A banksia bee nest consists of several cavities or cells within hollowed pieces of wood. A parent bee places provisions of pollen and nectar in each cell, along with a single egg.
Bee
Bees are flying insects closely related to wasps and ants, and are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea, presently classified by the unranked taxon name Anthophila...
species endemic to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
where it is commonly found in the coastal heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
s of eastern and southern Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. This bee is an important pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
of Banksia
Banksia
Banksia is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes and fruiting "cones" and heads. When it comes to size, banksias range from prostrate woody shrubs to trees up...
species.
The banksia bee was originally described by German entomologist Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson
Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson
Wilhelm Ferdinand Erichson was a German entomologist.He was the author of many articles about insects mainly in Archiv für Naturgeschichte.-Works:*Genera Dytiscorum. Berlin...
in 1842; its specific epithet is derived from the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
halcyon "kingfisher" relating to its kingfisher blue colour.
The banksia bee has a metallic blue abdomen and yellow face markings. The species is notable amongst bees for sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
—the males of the species are significantly larger than the females; in most other types of bee, females are larger than males. Males of different sizes have been shown to display different feeding behaviour. Large males perch and defend Banksia inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s that are in high positions on the shrub where they feed; small males feed closer to the ground and patrol circuits including several inflorescences. Displacement of large males from the perches is almost always by an even larger male.
Western Australian banksias that the bee has been recorded visiting include Banksia ashbyi
Banksia ashbyi
The Ashby's Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs in heath and spinifex country along the coast of Western Australia between Geraldton and Exmouth.-Description:...
, B. coccinea
Banksia coccinea
Banksia coccinea, commonly known as the Scarlet Banksia, Waratah Banksia or Albany Banksia, is an erect shrub or small tree in the plant genus Banksia...
, B. hookeriana
Banksia hookeriana
The Hooker's Banksia is a species of shrub in the plant genus Banksia. It occurs on sandplain shrubland between Arrowsmith and Eneabba in Western Australia. Seeds do not require any treatment, and take 23 to 49 days to germinate....
, B. ilicifolia
Banksia ilicifolia
Banksia ilicifolia, commonly known as Holly-leaved Banksia, is a tree in the plant Proteaceae family. Endemic to southwest Western Australia, it belongs to Banksia subg. Isostylis, a subgenus of three closely related Banksia species with inflorescences that are dome-shaped heads rather than...
, B. menziesii
Banksia menziesii
Banksia menziesii, commonly known as firewood banksia, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Banksia. It is a gnarled tree up to 10 m tall, or a lower spreading 1–3 m shrub in the more northern parts of its range. The serrated leaves are dull green with new growth a paler grey...
, B. prionotes
Banksia prionotes
Banksia prionotes, commonly known as Acorn Banksia or Orange Banksia, is a species of shrub or tree of the genus Banksia in the family Proteaceae. It is native to the southwest of Western Australia and can reach up to 10 m in height. It can be much smaller in more exposed areas or in the...
, B. sessilis, and B. speciosa
Banksia speciosa
The Showy Banksia is a species of large shrub or small tree in the plant genus Banksia. It reaches up to 8 m in height...
. Other species include Allocasuarina campestris, Grevillea cagiana, G. eriostachya
Grevillea eriostachya
Grevillea eriostachya, commonly known as the Yellow Flame Grevillea, is a shrub which is endemic to Western Australia....
, Isopogon dubius
Isopogon dubius
Isopogon dubius is a small shrub that is endemic to the south-west of Western Australia.It is usually between 0.3 and 1.5 metres high and has divided leaves which are 40 to 50 mm in length...
, and Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea
Xanthorrhoea is a genus of flowering plants native to Australia and a member of family Xanthorrhoeaceae, being the only member of subfamily Xanthorrhoeoideae. The Xanthorrhoeaceae are monocots, part of order Asparagales. There are 28 species and five subspecies of Xanthorrhoea.-Description:All are...
species.
The Banksia bee faces competition from the introduced European honey bee (Apis mellifera). In sites where the species coexist, the Banksia bee has significantly fewer nests that it has on sites where there is no competition. A banksia bee nest consists of several cavities or cells within hollowed pieces of wood. A parent bee places provisions of pollen and nectar in each cell, along with a single egg.