Exoneura gracilis
| Exoneura gracilis | |
|---|---|
| Male | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Genus: | Exoneura |
| Species: | E. gracilis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Exoneura gracilis | |
Exoneura gracilis, or Exoneura (Brevineura) gracilis, is a species of reed bee in the tribe Allodapini. It is endemic to Australia. It was described in 1918 by British-American entomologist Theodore Dru Alison Cockerell.[1][2]
Description
The body length of the holotype female is 4.5 mm. The colour is mainly glossy black.[1]
Distribution and habitat
The species occurs in south-east Queensland. The type locality is Brisbane; another published locality is Capalaba. [2]
Behaviour
The adults are flying mellivores. They nest in dead, dry plant stems. Two or more adult females may occupy one nest, though not all females lay eggs. All the immature stages are found in the communal chamber, with the larvae fed progressively. Flowering plants visited by the bees include Callistemon species.[2]
References
- ^ a b c Cockerell, TDA (1918). "Some bees collected in Queensland". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum. 6: 112–120 [119].
- ^ a b c d "Species Exoneura (Brevineura) gracilis Cockerell, 1918". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2026. Retrieved 2026-01-10.