Amegilla_atrocincta_F_13mm_HP

Description:

From Kruger National Park: Amegilla atrocincta. Amegillas come in a variety of sizes and shapes, but most are larger than honey bees. Most too are laddered with bold white stripes across the abdomen (A. atrocincta is a non-conformer) and throughout big chunks of the world these white stripes are replaced by lovely blue hairs giving them them the name blue-banded bee. This one was captured on Jonathan Mawdsley's expedition to South Africa in Kruger. Thanks much to our friend Silas Bossert for the id and picture (taken at the Smithsonian).