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Fun Facts about Native Bees

Bee Facts

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Ngāro huruhuru - a Native bee

Photographs courtesy of
Dr Ngaire Hart

Ngāro Huruhuru (Native bees) Fun Facts

  • There are only 28 species of these cute native bees left in NZ which have been around since the dinosaurs roamed the earth,

  • They are solitary, fly really fast, are TINY and usually black (sometimes a microscope is required to identify them they are so small)

  • Some blow bubbles to evaporate nectar and have short tongues (compared to honeybees)

  • Some have funny fluffy faces or wasplike markings

  • They are often mistaken for flies or wasps

  • They nest underground near each other and create large communities 

  • The male Ngāro huruhuru emerge from their nests first and form cloud clusters around a native tree/shrub/bush waiting for the females

  • The females emerge later and mate with the males

  • The males die soon after mating

  • Females build underground tunnels & chambers about 20 - 30cm deep in sand, soil, clay, sunny banks

  • Each tunnel has between 8 - 12 chambers and the females lay one egg per chamber

  • The females place each egg on a ball of pollen before sealing the chamber

  • They are not aggressive and do not fly very far (100- 250mt mt) from their nests

  • They do not produce honey nor do they suffer from diseases like the honeybees 

  • Only the females have a stinger but rarely sting

  • They are a vital species for our native ecosystem

  • Their lifecycle takes a year to complete

  • Predators : Vespula wasp species, jumping spiders, robber flies, dragonflies, lizards/geckos, fantail birds

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NATIVE BEES  are solitary and belong to 3 families:

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Hairy Colletids: Leioproctus 

Sweat Bees:       Lasioglossum

Masked bees:   Hylaeus

Leioproctus are the largest 5 -12mm

Lasioglossum are the smallest 4 - 8mm

Hylaeus are between 7- 9mm

 

Leioproctus & Lassioglossum are diggers, nest under ground and carry pollen on their legs whereas the Hylaeus are wood nesters (above ground) and carry pollen in a crop (honey stomach) and not on their legs. These Ngāro huruhuru are endemic which means they only occur in Aotearoa and play a vital role in many of our eco-systems by means of effective pollination of our native plants.

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Lifecycle

Spring : Mating occurs - males die after mating

Spring & Summer : Females collect pollen & nectar and build underground nests and lay their eggs

Summer : The eggs develop into grubs, then larvae and by feeding on pollen grow rapidly through their developmental stages

Autumn : The fully formed larva spins a cocoon and transforms into a pupae.

Winter : Diapause. The bee spends the winter months resting fully formed inside its sealed cell waiting for the warmer temperatures of spring to then emerge and begin its lifecycle.

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Unlike their social cousins, our native bees are solitary so it can be hard to monitor them, yet there is still much to learn about their diversity, distribution and how we can help them survive.

 

For more information regarding the importance of Ngāro huruhuru extensive research has been done by Dr. Ngaire Hart of Whangarei. Her native bee studies are ongoing and are a huge resource for Aotearoa.


Ngaire Hart. (2016). Monitoring New Zealand's native bees: a collaborative approach using image analysis. www.researchgate.net

This photo shows a female Ngāro huruhuru ready to deposit her pollen stash . The little holes in the clay are the entrances to her underground chambers which she lines with a waterproof and antibacterial secretion.

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The Leioproctus is very hairy, looks like a bee, is black and nests underground (it is yellow on the South Island).

The Lasioglossum is often mistaken for a fly, is black & greenish and is attracted to salt/moisture/sweat and she nests underground.

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The Hylaeus is small, slender, not hairy, shiny black and often mistaken for a wasp. She lives in hollow flax stems, old beetle holes, twigs and pre-existing cavities. She blows bubbles to evaporate the water content of nectar which then makes it easier to transport to her nest.

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Fun Facts about Honey Bees

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Honey Bee Fun Facts

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  • Honeybees can be found on every continent (except Antarctica)

  • Honey Bees sleep at night 

  • Male honey bees are called drones

  • Drones get to hang out in ‘boy clubs’ called DCA (Drone Congregation Areas)

  • Honey bees drink water 

  • Only female honey bees have stingers

  • Only queen honey bees can sting multiple times

  • Honey bees do not have a nose or ears

  • Honey bees are good at waggling their bums

  • Honey bees can be ‘robbers’

  • A queen honey bee can lay up to 2000 eggs a day!

  • Drones do not collect pollen, nectar or water

  • Italian honey bees were first introduced to NZ in 1839 by Mary Bumby

  • Carniolan honey bees were first introduced to NZ in 2004-2006 from Austria & Germany

  • Italian honey bees are generally amber or golden brown in colour

  • Carniolan honey bees are usually dark brown  or black in colour 

  • A Tiger Queen is part Italian part Carniolan 

  • Honey bees have 5 eyes and can see the ultraviolet spectrum of light (humans can’t)

  • Honey bees mind their own beesness

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Many pollinators and diverse types of bees are the main reason why the human race has access to many food sources. Bees pollinate at least 80% of the total insect-pollinated plants which form a good part of our diet. Most types of bees need pollen to feed their young and by gathering pollen they effectively fertilise flowering plants. ​Furthermore, honey bees are the only insects which produce natural products for human consumption : honey - propolis - beeswax - bee venom - pollen and royal jelly. 

 

Honey bees are social insects and they work together tirelessly and selflessly for the good of their hive. Their main goal is to produce enough food (honey) for the hive to survive through the various seasons and as they are extremely good at their job, humans get to share their excess honey stores. Honey bees also need year round pollen, nectar  and water to survive so it is important we provide them with staggered planting, abundant and varied flowers and trees to ensure they have enough food sources to forage on through each season. (see our Planting for Pollinators page )

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Fun Facts about Bumble Bees

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Bumble Bee Fun Facts

  • Bumblebees do not have ears

  • They have a long hairy tongue which they fold under their chin when flying

  • They live in nests underground

  • Only Bumblebee queens hibernate from late autumn to early spring

  • A queen bumble bee sits on her eggs like a bird to keep them warm 

  • Bumblebees do not produce honey 

  • Some bumblebees have fluffy white bums 

  • Bumblebees live together in family groups 

  • The queen bumble bee only survives for 1 year

  • Male bumblebees have only one chromosome (no father)

  • Bumblebees do not die once they sting 

  • They have smelly feet

  • They can reach speeds of  54kms per hour

  • Bumblebees fly and work in ALL weather conditions

  • They are more efficient pollinators than honey bees

  • Bumblebees are ‘buzz pollinators’

Bumblebees have lovely, round bodies covered in soft, fuzzy setae in bands of colour - usually black, yellow and white. NZ is home to 4 species of Bumblebees which are part of the following families : Bombus ruderatus, Bombus terrestris, Bombus hortorum, Bombus subterraneus (rare). These bees were all introduced from the UK for agricultural purposes.

 

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For more information about Bumble bees visit NZ Bumblebee Conservation Trust

 

www.nzbct.org.nz

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