New Native Bee Species Discovered in Perth

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A remarkable new native bee, about the size of a honeybee, was discovered in December 2010 in an outer suburb of Perth, WA. It was found in a bushland area by WA Museum curator, Dr Terry Houston, and Museum volunteer, Otto Mueller.

Dr Houston said, "Finding a new species of animal is always exciting but finding something like this handsome and extraordinary species of solitary bee so close to a large metropolis is highly unusual."

"What is equally remarkable is that while male bees are not usually known to have a role in building nests or rearing young, the males of this species acts like gate-keepers, stationing themselves below the burrow entrances."

"This burrow guarding behaviour is something quite new for a solitary bee species."

Museum CEO, Alec Coles, said that the WA Museum has found and helped describe more than 400 new animal species from WA over the past five years!

For more details about this extraordinary new bee species, please visit: www.museum.wa.gov.au/about/latest-news/new-bee-species-discovered-forrestdale

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