Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => DOWN UNDER BEEKEEPING => Topic started by: Barlon on November 11, 2016, 06:54:54 AM

Title: Identify These black bees
Post by: Barlon on November 11, 2016, 06:54:54 AM
Hello everyone

I found these small black bees clustered on some long grass while walking home.

The bees are just over double the size of my Tetragonula bees and look very similar, from what I can tell they are all males and can't sting.

Here's some photos from a few angles I'm sorry if their not clear but it's the best I can do with my current camera.




PS

I had to catch the bees to take the photos as it was getting too dark, but I'll be releasing them in the morning.
Title: Re: Identify These black bees
Post by: Barlon on November 11, 2016, 06:56:02 AM
Here's another picture you can see the face rather well in this picture
Title: Re: Identify These black bees
Post by: PhilK on November 13, 2016, 06:41:01 PM
T. hockingsi? Or T. carbonaria? Drones of either species, perhaps?
Title: Re: Identify These black bees
Post by: Barlon on November 14, 2016, 08:22:58 AM
Quote from: PhilK on November 13, 2016, 06:41:01 PM
T. hockingsi? Or T. carbonaria? Drones of either species, perhaps?

They're way too big to be either being more then double the size, their bigger then a queen
Title: Re: Identify These black bees
Post by: Barlon on November 15, 2016, 09:57:43 AM
The bees are male halictid bees which are a species of burrowing bees.