Observations in the Family: Apidae English Name: Cuckoo Bees, Digger Bees, Carpenter Bees, Honey Bees & Sweat Bees or Honeybees
Child members
Observed on: 26th June 2010
Added to iSpot: 22nd May 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 0
Comments: 0
Observed on: 26th March 2011
Added to iSpot: 22nd May 2013
Likely ID: Digger bee (Anthophorini )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 0
Comments: 0
Observed on: 26th March 2011
Added to iSpot: 21st May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Observed on: 5th March 2011
Added to iSpot: 21st May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 1
Comments: 0
Observed on: 9th January 2011
Added to iSpot: 21st May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 0
Comments: 0
Observed on: 27th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 19th May 2013
Likely ID: Cape honey bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 1
Comments: 0
Observed on: 16th February 2013
Added to iSpot: 14th May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Carpenterbee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Observed on: 12th May 2013
Added to iSpot: 12th May 2013
Likely ID: Flower Bees (Anthophorini )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 2
Observed on: 14th September 2012
Added to iSpot: 10th May 2013
Likely ID: Carpenterbee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 4
Comments: 0
By: Elize
Observed on: 29th April 2012
Added to iSpot: 5th May 2013
Likely ID: Capenter bee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 3
Comments: 5
Observed on: 5th May 2013
Added to iSpot: 5th May 2013
Likely ID: Southern Carpenterbee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 7
Comments: 19
Description: Four of these bees were inside a dry log. Interestingly, Wiki describes X. caffra males as territorial. If that's correct, what's with the log sharing?
Observed on: 29th January 2013
Added to iSpot: 5th May 2013
Likely ID: African Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 1
Comments: 5
By: Elize
Observed on: 4th September 2012
Added to iSpot: 4th May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 5
Agreements: 2
Comments: 2
Description: Description:
Bees have a long proboscis (a complex "tongue") that enables them to obtain the nectar from flowers. They have antennae almost universally made up of 13 segments in males and 12 in females, as is typical for the superfamily. Bees all have two pairs of wings, the hind pair being the smaller of the two.
Observed on: 18th January 2013
Added to iSpot: 2nd May 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 1
Description: Moved in suddenly into this "squirrel's nest", much to the consternation of kids regularly using the park. The area was taped off for about a week before the danger tape blew away, but the colony stayed in residence for about a month.
Don't know if it left or was removed.
By: Jeltje
Observed on: 23rd January 2013
Added to iSpot: 28th April 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
Description: Black bee,hairy,no yellow bands on thorax or yellow tufts along sides of abdomen.About 2.5 cm long.Wings black-blue and looks small relative to body size. Unfortunately dead when found.
Observed on: 10th May 2011
Added to iSpot: 27th April 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 2
Description: Note the loaded pollen sacs.
Observed on: 11th June 2011
Added to iSpot: 27th April 2013
Likely ID: Bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Description: This one wouldn't keep still.
By: straussj
Observed on: 24th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 25th April 2013
Likely ID: Digger bee (Anthophorini )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 1
Comments: 4
Description: I found this bee digging a hole in the soil inside a flowerpot. It is the size of a normal honeybee but has a rounded abdomen. The wings also appear to be shorter than that of a honeybee. I have tried to identify it using the Field Guide to Insects of South Africa ( Mike Picker and others) but could not find an exact match. I suspect that it might be from the family Melittidae.
By: w1ldflwrs
Observed on: 21st January 2012
Added to iSpot: 15th April 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
By: w1ldflwrs
Observed on: 25th January 2012
Added to iSpot: 15th April 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
By: bluehill
Observed on: 14th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 14th April 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Description: A couple of times now I have observed honeybees foraging on this species of Restionaceae. According to my field guide, Restionaceae are wind pollinated. So is the honeybee pollen robbing? The interesting thing from the location photo is that you can see a flowering Protea repens behind the restio, so its not like the various bees that were on the plant were starving. I am presuming the bee is Cape based only on location.
Observed on: 5th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 12th April 2013
Likely ID: African Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
By: Maphisa David
Observed on: 10th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 10th April 2013
Likely ID: Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
Observed on: 1st December 2012
Added to iSpot: 10th April 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 5
Comments: 1
Observed on: 9th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 9th April 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honey Bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
Description: Insects inside Protea repens.
This is for the bees.
Observed on: 14th October 2010
Added to iSpot: 9th April 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 1
Description: Observed by my brother in Malawi. His description: "En die tor is Malawi, apparently dodelik."
... Well, not a beetle, and surely not deadly? But enough to make me curious. Does this beast seem familiar to any of our Northern iSpotters?
By: Maphisa David
Location: Landbrand town & townlands
Lat/Lng: -29.18878, 27.45669
with winter setting in flowering Artimisia afra has become the most visited plant in the garden
Close Observed on: 9th April 2013
Added to iSpot: 9th April 2013
Likely ID: African honey bee (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 3
Agreements: 2
Comments: 1
Observed on: 12th June 2009
Added to iSpot: 18th March 2013
Likely ID: Anthophorine bee (Anthophorini )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 0
Comments: 15
Description: "Bee-like" insect, Stripy abdomen, hairy legs
Observed on: 17th March 2013
Added to iSpot: 17th March 2013
Likely ID: Flower Bee (Anthophorini )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 5
Comments: 2
Description: About 10mm fellow buzzing audibly and frenetically around Plectranthus and Asystasia blooms.
By: MichaelWhitehead
Observed on: 10th March 2013
Added to iSpot: 12th March 2013
Likely ID: Cuckoo bees (Melectini )
Identifications: 3
Agreements: 0
Comments: 0
By: lianvh
Observed on: 2nd March 2013
Added to iSpot: 11th March 2013
Likely ID: a bee (Apinae )
Identifications: 4
Agreements: 1
Comments: 5
Observed on: 13th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 10th March 2013
Likely ID: Xylocopa caffra
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Observed on: 13th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 10th March 2013
Likely ID: Common Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa caffra )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
By: Eukene Rueda
Observed on: 6th March 2013
Added to iSpot: 7th March 2013
Likely ID: Xylocopa
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 4
Comments: 1
Observed on: 6th May 2012
Added to iSpot: 27th February 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honey Bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 7
Comments: 3
By: Charles Stirton
Observed on: 6th September 2011
Added to iSpot: 25th February 2013
Likely ID: Xylocopa
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
By: alan
Observed on: 2nd December 2012
Added to iSpot: 23rd February 2013
Likely ID: Xylocopa
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 4
Comments: 2
Description: all black carpenter bee
Location: Rondevlei
Lat/Lng: -34.058872583333, 18.499474194444
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
Close Observed on: 27th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 22nd February 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 3
Comments: 3
Location: Rondevlei
Lat/Lng: -34.058270527778, 18.500782305556
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
Close Observed on: 27th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 22nd February 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Location: Rondevlei
Lat/Lng: -34.057014583333, 18.503393055556
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
Close Observed on: 27th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 22nd February 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honey Bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 1
Comments: 0
Location: Rondevlei
Lat/Lng: -34.05719675, 18.503752055556
Rondevlei Nature Reserve
Close Observed on: 27th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 22nd February 2013
Likely ID: Xylocopa
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 0
Comments: 0
Observed on: 25th October 2012
Added to iSpot: 21st February 2013
Likely ID: Cape honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 1
Comments: 0
Observed on: 9th April 2011
Added to iSpot: 19th February 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
Description: Male at Polygala myrtifolia flower; Female at Deinbolia oblongifilia blooms
Observed on: 21st December 2012
Added to iSpot: 19th February 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter bee (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 0
By: Ernest Porter
Observed on: 14th February 2013
Added to iSpot: 14th February 2013
Likely ID: Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 4
Comments: 5
Description: about 2 cm from head to bottom
Observed on: 28th June 2012
Added to iSpot: 11th February 2013
Likely ID: Honeybees (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
Observed on: 10th February 2013
Added to iSpot: 11th February 2013
Likely ID: Honey bee (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 3
Comments: 0
Observed on: 16th May 2010
Added to iSpot: 10th February 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honey Bee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 2
Comments: 1
Location: Romansrivier
Lat/Lng: -33.478328138889, 19.200947277778
Romansriver Nature Reserve
Close Observed on: 21st October 2012
Added to iSpot: 8th February 2013
Likely ID: Cape Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. capensis )
Identifications: 2
Agreements: 1
Comments: 12
Observed on: 6th February 2013
Added to iSpot: 7th February 2013
Likely ID: African Honeybee (Apis mellifera subsp. scutellata )
Identifications: 1
Agreements: 4
Comments: 4
Description: Rubber collected by African Honeybee; on the solidified latex (natural rubber)from Euphorbia cooperi. Primary damage by Lepidoptera larvae. On one tree there are approx. 5 fresh holes holes with bees continously collecting from it.
