Broad-footed Colletes vs Wallacea Giant Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Broad-footed Colletes Wallacea Giant Bee
Scientific Name Colletes halophilus Megachile pluto
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Colletidae Megachilidae
Size 9-12 mm 23-39 mm
Habitat Beaches & Coastal Woodlands
Diet Nectar Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Western Europe Asia
Conservation Near Threatened Vulnerable

Broad-footed Colletes

A rare coastal specialist plasterer bee that forages on sea aster in saltmarsh habitats. It is restricted to a narrow band of habitat along European coasts.

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Did You Know?

Rising sea levels and saltmarsh erosion directly threaten its nesting sites, making it one of the bees most vulnerable to climate change.

Wallacea Giant Bee

The worlds largest bee at 39 mm long with a 63 mm wingspan. Thought extinct for 38 years until rediscovered in Indonesia in 2019. Nests inside active termite mounds.

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Did You Know?

Wallace giant bee was not seen alive by a scientist for 38 years — when rediscovered in 2019, it was found nesting inside active termite mounds, using tree resin to waterproof its cells.