typhlonectes:

THIS HAS TO BE one of the prettiest bees in the world. Named for the beautiful turquoise bands that run across its abdomen, the blue-banded bee (Amegilla cingulate) sports a lush golden and white fluff, enormous green eyes, and tan-coloured wings that look like crisp layers of cellophane.

Males can be distinguished from females by the number of blue bands they display – males have five while the females have just four. Adult blue-banded bees typically grow to between 10mm and 12mm.

The species is found all over Australia, except in Tasmania and the Northern Territory. It’s also native to Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, and India, so it enjoys a pretty healthy range, spreading out everywhere from urban areas to open fields and dense, tropical forests…