masked bee
Hylaeus (Rhodohylaeus) proximus
Size
Identifying Characteristics
A small bee with a red-brown abdomen, somewhat darker in the male. Much of the thorax is also red-brown in the female and the surface of the propodeum is coarsely sculptured in both sexes.
Distinctive Features
This species may be distinguished from H. lateralis by the smaller size and the absence of white marks from the collar.
Flower Visiting Records
| Acacia spp. | Angophora spp. | Brachychiton populneum |
| Bursaria spinosa | Callistemon citrinus | Calytrix sp. |
| Eremophila spp. | Eucalyptus spp. | Grevillea spp. |
| Hakea tephrosperma | Jacksonia scoparia | Leptospermum sp. |
| Leucopogon sp. | Melaleuca spp. | Schinus molle |
| Senna sp. |
Taxonomy
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Colletidae |
| Genus: | Hylaeus |
| Subgenus: | Rhodohylaeus |
| Species: | proximus |