Hyleoides concinna

Hyleoides concinna, the common wasp-mimic bee, is a species of solitary bee in the family Colletidae. It was first described in 1775 by Johan Christian Fabricius, who mistook it for a wasp. It is native to south-eastern Australia, and has accidentally been introduced to New Zealand. The abdomen is orange and black on top, with a yellow band underneath. Nests are constructed in pre-existing cavities in wood, such as the tunnels produced by longhorn beetle larvae. It collects nectar and pollen from a wide range of flowering plant species.

Hyleoides concinna
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Colletidae
Genus:	Hyleoides
Species:	H. concinna
Binomial name
Hyleoides concinna (Fabricius, 1775)[1]

Taxonomy

The common wasp-mimic bee was first described by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius, who (believing it to be a wasp) named it Vespa concinna in 1775.^[2] The specific name (concinna) is a Latin word meaning "beautiful".^[3] The holotype specimen is a female, which is stored in the Natural History Museum, London.^[4] It was collected by Joseph Banks during the first voyage of James Cook.^[5] This expedition was the first time Europeans had visited the eastern coastline of Australia.^[6]

Description

Male

The common wasp-mimic bee has evolved several features that make it look like a potter wasp.^[7] These features include a bold colour pattern, partly darkened forewings, and a habit of holding the wings out in a V-shape when alighting.^[7] Wasps tend to be more aggressive than bees, so it's believed this mimicry might serve to frighten away predators.^[8] This bee can be distinguished from most potter wasps by the absence of a long, narrow waist and the presence of small tufts of branched hairs on the thorax.^[9][3]

Female

The second abdominal segment is black, and the remaining segments are mostly orange on top.^[10] There is a yellow band under the third abdominal segment.^[10] The thorax is black, sometimes with orange spots.^[10] The head is black. Males and females can be differentiated by the shape and colour of markings on the clypeus – yellow in the male, and orange (narrowing below) in the female.^[10] Males are 10 to 12 mm (0.39 to 0.47 in) in length.^[10] Females are usually slightly larger at 12 to 13 mm (0.47 to 0.51 in).^[10]

Distribution and habitat

The common wasp-mimic bee lives in urban areas, woodlands, forests and heath.^[8] It is native to south-eastern Australia, with records from South Australia (including Kangaroo Island), Victoria, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and southern Queensland.^[4]

It was accidentally introduced to the North Island of New Zealand some time before 1980.^[10] It is believed that it entered the country as diapausing prepupae in nests in imported timber.^[10] This was likely via the ports of Gisborne and Napier.^[10] By 2021 it had reached the South Island of New Zealand, and it is expected to spread to the rest of the country, which has a suitable climate for this species.^[11]

Behaviour and ecology

Log being used for nesting

Hyleoides concinna nests in holes that were created by borer insects (likely longhorn beetle larvae). A curtain of cellophane-like material is visible at the entrance of each nest.

The common wasp-mimic bee is solitary, and it has one brood per year.^[10] Females construct nests in summer in pre-existing cavities, such as the tunnels made in wood by longhorn beetle larvae.^[3] This bee will also nest in man-made cavities, such as drilled timber holes and bamboo canes in bee hotels.^[12] The preferred cavity diameter is 6 to 8 millimetres.^[13]

Females begin nesting by building a curtain of silk threads over the entrance.^[3] The threads are made from a cellophane-like material secreted by the bee.^[3] The threads are attached to the walls of the hole, but are free in the centre allowing the female to easily move through.^[7] This curtain is probably a visual deterrent to parasitoid insects.^[7] The female can often be seen resting behind the curtain with only her antennae protruding through.^[3]

After constructing the curtain, she creates a series of brood cells using more of the waterproof cellophane-like material.^[3] Each cell is half-filled with a provision of nectar and pollen, and an egg is laid upon each provision.^[3] The females of this species carry the pollen internally, as they lack the external pollen-carrying structures of many other bees.^[10] Up to eight cells may be provisioned and closed before the female seals the entire nest with a solid wall to protect against predators.^[3]

Male roosting aggregation

The larvae consume the provisions and pupate, emerging as adults the following spring.^[10] In Australia, adults can be seen from October to March (based on records from the Sydney region).^[3] In New Zealand the adults are most active from November to March.^[10]

The common wasp-mimic bee has been recorded visiting a wide range of flowers, including those from the following genera; Angophora, Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Lophostemon, Banksia, Daviesia, Jacksonia, Melaleuca, Brachychiton, Eremophila, Lambertia, Persoonia, Pultenaea, Leucospermum, Saponaria, Chrysanthemum, Tecoma, Bursaria, Foeniculum and Acmena.^[10] It tends to forage on flowers slower than honeybees and wasps, which helps to distinguish it in flight.^[14]

Males are known to form roosting aggregations on branches or twigs.^[15] Females can sting, but they are not aggressive, and will only sting humans if pressed against the skin.^[10]

In culture

This was one of four species featured in a set of native bee postage stamps, which were available from Australia Post in 2019.^[16]