Blue-banded bee. Amegilla cingulata. Size: 1.4 mm.
This species is particularly attracted to blue, even people’s clothes. It occurs Australia-wide (except Tasmania and the NT), making solitary nests in burrows, often in soft rock such as sandstone.

Cloak and dagger cuckoo bee. Thyreus nitidulus. Size: 1.4 mm.
This bee exploits other species to raise its offspring. Females stalk their hosts, sneaking into nests under ­construction and laying their eggs, which hatch early to plunder the nests’ nectar and pollen reserves.

Teddy bear bee. Amegilla asaropoda. Size: 1.8 mm.
Round bodies covered in dense orange-brown “fur” give this bee its name. It nests in soil or soft-rock burrows. Compared to honey bees, its flight is faster and more erratic as it darts between flowers.

European honey bee. Apis Mellifera.
The European honey bee is one of an estimated 6–10 honey bee species worldwide and the only one that occurs in Australia.