masked bee
Integument is the chitinous material forming the outer skeleton. The apparent colour of the bee may be due either to the colour of the integument or to the colour of any tomentum (hair) that covers the surface.
Tomentum is a felt-like covering of short, highly-branched hairs pressed against the surface.
Hylaeus (Analastoroides) foveatus
Size
Identifying Characteristics
This is the only hylaeine species with bands of tomentum on the abdomen. In other species with coloured bands, the integument is coloured.
Distinctive Features
In addition to the orange bands, the abdomen of both sexes is humped when viewed in profile.
Flower Visiting Records
There are very few records of this species and the only recorded flower on which it has been seen is Eucalyptus.
Taxonomy
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Colletidae |
| Genus: | Hylaeus |
| Subgenus: | Analastoroides |
| Species: | foveatus |