Tetragonula carbonaria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
Tetragonula carbonaria (previously known as Trigona carbonaria) is a stingless bee, endemic to the north-east coast of Australia. Its common name is sugarbag bee. They are also occasionally referred to as bush bees. The bee is known to pollinate orchid species, such as Dendrobium lichenastrum, D. toressae, and D. speciosum. It has been identified as an insect that collects pollen from the cycad Cycas media. They are also known for their small body size, reduced wing venation, and highly developed social structure comparable to honey bees.
Tetragonula carbonaria produce edible honey, which they store in pots in the nest made from propolis. These pots are referred to as sugarbags, giving the bees their common name of sugarbag bees. These pots and the whole nest are eaten by some Indigenous Australian communities as bush tucker. The bees themselves are also important cultural symbols for many Indigenous Australians.
Twenty-one genera of stingless bees (family Apidae) are described worldwide. As the name would suggest, the stings of these bees are vestigial and useless in defence. About 14 species are found in Australia, mostly in the tropical north. T. carbonaria... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Stingless Bee sighting in Royal National Park on a given day, based on 15 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 62nd most-seen of the 175 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
September to November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Charcoal Stingless Bee in Royal National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January–February and June, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Charcoal Stingless Bee sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Charcoal Stingless Bee sightings, Royal National Park ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Blue Mountains National Park (Australia, about 10%).
Same family: Apidae
The closest relatives of the Charcoal Stingless Bee that you can see in Royal National Park (family Apidae, Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Allies) are Golden-Green Carpenter Bee (about 10%), Teddy Bear Bee (about 10%) and Neon Cuckoo Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Charcoal Stingless Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Royal National Park (15 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
