Dawson's Burrowing Bee vs Tangle-veined Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Dawson's Burrowing Bee Tangle-veined Fly
Scientific Name Amegilla dawsoni Nemestrina longirostris
Order Hymenoptera Diptera
Family Apidae Nemestrinidae
Size 18-24 mm 15-20 mm
Habitat Heathland Heathland
Diet Nectar Feeders Parasitoids
Regions Western Australia Africa
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Dawson's Burrowing Bee

A large solitary bee endemic to Western Australia that nests in massive aggregations in hardpan clay. Males engage in violent aerial combat to mate with emerging females.

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Did You Know?

Male combat is so fierce that individuals frequently die from injuries sustained during mating battles.

Tangle-veined Fly

A fly with an extraordinarily long proboscis for feeding from deep tubular flowers.

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Did You Know?

Its proboscis can exceed its body length to reach nectar in long-tubed flowers.