Lipotriches australica
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
Lipotriches australica, commonly known as the green and gold nomia, is a species of bee in the family Halictidae. It was described by Frederick Smith in 1875, and is widely distributed across mainland Australia. It is approximately the size of a European honeybee, and it is a buzz pollinator. When conditions are optimal, the females can nest in dense aggregations with tens of thousands of nests per hectare. Males are often seen clustered together in roosting aggregations. This was one of four species featured in a set of native bee postage stamps, which were available from Australia Post in 2019.
This species was described in 1875 by Frederick Smith, who named it Nomia australica. In the 21st century it was moved to the genus Lipotriches by Professor Charles Michener, and it lies within the subgenus Austronomia. It is commonly known as the green and gold nomia in reference to the metallic blue-green shine on the abdomen and bands of golden hair.
Lipotriches australica is approximately 10mm long, which is around the size of a European honeybee. The head and thorax are black, and there is a patch of short, white hair at the rear of the thorax. The abdomen... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Green-And-Gold Nomia Bee sighting in Melbourne on a given day, based on 91 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 198th most-seen of the 875 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
November to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Green-And-Gold Nomia Bee in Melbourne on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green-And-Gold Nomia Bee sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 3
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Green-And-Gold Nomia Bee sightings, Melbourne ranks 3rd at under 5%. The best odds are in Sydney (Australia, about 10%) and Brisbane (Australia, under 5%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Green-And-Gold Nomia Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Melbourne (91 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
