Malagasy Orchid Bee vs Pantaloon Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Malagasy Orchid Bee Pantaloon Bee
Scientific Name Liotrigona madecassa Dasypoda hirtipes
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Melittidae
Size 3-5 mm 12-15 mm
Habitat Farmland Beaches & Coastal
Diet Nectar Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions Madagascar Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Malagasy Orchid Bee

A tiny stingless bee that is one of Madagascar's most important pollinators. It has a black body with pale wing membranes and forms colonies in hollow tree trunks.

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Did You Know?

Local communities harvest its honey, called 'tantely kely' in Malagasy, which is prized for its distinctive floral flavor and medicinal properties.

Pantaloon Bee

A distinctive solitary bee where females have enormously long pollen-collecting hairs on their hind legs. It digs deep burrows in sandy soil.

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Did You Know?

Its leg hairs can hold so much pollen that the loaded scopae are wider than the bee's entire body.