On 06/03/2013, at 6:39 PM, "Lou Daveri" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Trevor,  thank you very much for the Oz info about the Punic bees.
> 
> Have you noticed the similarity of our native Green Carpenter Bee  (xylocopa (lestis)) to the Punic bee, in terms of its black colouring, slender form and length?  It is the GCBs iridescence  which easily separates it at the casual observer level. I have downloaded pics of both bee types, from which I made my observations about their exterior similarity.
> 
> Here, on KANGAROO ISLAND, citizen science is helping to gather reports of sightings of either the GCB or the native BLUE-BANDED BEE, both of which inhabit our farm, with its myriad of yacca (xanthorrhoea) trees and banksia bushes, and these 2 solitary bees also hang around our pig face covered wire fence between the homestead and the chook yard, sharing the pig face flowers with our own apiary Ligurian bees.
> 
> The SA Dept. of Environment, Water and Natural Resources is running a concerted campaign on Kangaroo Island to confirm sightings and nests of the GCB, and any Australians reading this might like to join the hunt, and report your sightings to [log in to unmask]
> 
> For more information, try www.aussiebee.com.au  or google 'Green Carpenter Bees, Australia' and up will pop many more links. There's more stuff to read from both the WA and SA museum sites.
> 
> We report findings from our farm, and send blurry photos of the BBB (the GCB is too fast and flitty, to get a snap with my el-cheap, long lag time, tiny digital camera). We do our best.
> 
> LIDA
> 35s40e
>> 

             ***********************************************
The BEE-L mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software.  For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html