Hylaeus ofarrelli

Hylaeus ofarrelli
	Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hymenoptera
Family:	Colletidae
Genus:	Hylaeus
Species:	H. ofarrelli
Binomial name
	Hylaeus ofarrelli; Michener, 1965

Hylaeus ofarrelli, or Hylaeus (Edriohylaeus) ofarrelli, also known as O'Farrell's Masked Bee, is a species of bee in the family Colletidae and subfamily Hylaeinae. It is endemic to Australia. It was described by American entomologist Charles Duncan Michener in 1965.

Etymology

The specific epithet ofarrelli honours Professor A. P. O'Farrell of the University of New England for his assistance to the author.

Description

Male body length is about 3.7 mm, wing length 2.5 mm; female body length about 3.8 mm, wing length 3 mm. Integumental colouration is mainly black, with white to yellow markings; the base of the female metasoma is red.

Distribution and habitat

The species occurs in eastern Australia. The type locality is Binna Burra in the Scenic Rim Region of south-east Queensland.

Behaviour

The adults are solitary flying mellivores. They nest in dead reeds and plant stems, including those of Verbena bonariensis. Flowering plants visited by the bees include Claoxylon australe, as well as Callistemon, Eucalyptus, Jacksonia, Leptospermum, Melaleuca and Syncarpia species.

References

1 2 3 4 5 Michener, CD (1965). "A classification of the bees of the Australian and South Pacific regions". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 130: 1–362 [293]. Retrieved 2026-10-18.
1 2 3 4 "Species Hylaeus (Edriohylaeus) ofarrelli Rayment, 1954". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2026. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

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[michener1965-1] 1 2 3 4 5 Michener, CD (1965). "A classification of the bees of the Australian and South Pacific regions". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 130: 1–362 [293]. Retrieved 2026-10-18.

[afd-2] 1 2 3 4 "Species Hylaeus (Edriohylaeus) ofarrelli Rayment, 1954". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2026. Retrieved 2026-10-18.