Amegilla aeruginosa

Tilcayo Cats original · Amegilla · Sources and editorial assessment · Originals retention rule

Amegilla aeruginosa is an Australian bee whose upper surface is covered in metallic green or bronze hairs. It belongs to the genus Amegilla and the species group Notomegilla. Its colouring extends over much of the back, rather than being confined to the narrow abdominal bands familiar in many related bees.

Appearance and identification

The green or bronze covering occurs in both sexes. The female redescribed in the 2017 Australian revision measured 10 mm long, with a 9 mm forewing; these are measurements of that specimen, not limits for the species. The revision distinguished A. aeruginosa from Australia's other Amegilla by the extent of its metallic hair.

Distribution and season

The species is widespread in tropical and subtropical Australia. Its distribution overlaps relatively little with that of A. chlorocyanea, the other Australian Notomegilla species recognised in the revision. Northern Australian records span every month. More specimens were recorded near the beginning of the wet season, with fewer in January and February. The authors suggested reduced reproduction during the wettest months as one possible explanation; their collection records did not establish that cause.

Names and species boundaries

Smith described the bee as Anthophora aeruginosa in 1854. The 2017 revision placed Rayment's Anthophora kershawi and Amegilla sybilae in synonymy with it. Comparison of historical specimens and mitochondrial DNA supported treating the material as one species. A synonym is an alternative scientific name for the same species, not another bee to count separately.