Sunda Blue-banded Digger Bee

Appearance

Its abdomen is striped with alternating brilliant blue and black bands and has orange brown hair covering its thorax. Despite its speedy flight, its vibrant blue bands are easily recognisable.

Naming

Basionym: Anthophora zonata subsp. andrewsi Cockerell, 1910

Behavior

Blue-banded Digger Bees are solitary bees that have the ability to buzz pollinate flowers. Clinging onto the flower’s anthers, the bee vibrates its body at a particular frequency that causes pollen from the flower to be released. They nest in the ground, particularly in clayey soil. In urban environments, they are known to use man-made surfaces such as mortar between bricks and concrete as nests instead.