There are over 1650 known bee species in Australia, and based on the rate of new discovery it is estimated that the true number may be between 2000 and 2500.
While the charismatic, highly eusocial stingless bees have become the rock stars of the bee world, and a handful of solitary bees like blue banded bees and teddy bear bees have become popular B-grade celebrities, most of our bee species get paid very little, or no attention. The forgotten are often broadly lumped together as ‘the solitary bees’.
But Australia’s bees are not simply highly eusocial stingless bees or solitary bees. Sociality in bees is a scale, and there are various important social categories between the two extremes of solitary and highly eusocial. This includes communal behaviour, and various forms of semi-sociality. In addition to having diverse forms of sociality, Australia’s bees also have a range of different nesting behaviours.