resin bee
A defining characteristic of M. hackeri and M. apicata is the tomentum in the grooves of T3 and T4. Tomentum is a felt-like covering of short, highly-branched hairs pressed close to the surface. The terms T1, T2 ... refer to the segments of the top half of the metasoma, numbered from front to back.
Megachile (Callomegachile) mystaceana
Fire-Tailed Resin Bee
SizeIdentifying Characteristics
Metasoma covered in bright orange tomentum, contrasting with the dark black hair and integument of the thorax.
Distinctive Features
May be distinguished from M. ustulata, the only other large species with an orange metasoma, by the narrow band of black hair at the extreme front edge of the metasoma
and by the short, felt-like tomentum. M.ustulata has moderately long orange hairs that give the surface a coarser appearance.
Flower Visiting Records
| Lophostemon confertus | Pultenaea humilis | Pultenaea tuberculata |
| Stachytarpheta sp. |
Taxonomy
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Megachilidae |
| Genus: | Megachile |
| Subgenus: | Callomegachile |
| Species: | mystaceana |