Native bee (Leioproctus fulvescens)

Family: Colletidae

Bees are from the Hymenoptera order of insects. You may be surprised to know that New Zealand has several native bee species of its own. They’re generally smaller than the common honey bee and do not have stripes. In contrast to honey bees, they do not have colonies. As solitary bees, females dig nest holes in the ground. In each chamber, females lay just one egg and supply this underground nursery with pollen to feed their larvae. Although you don’t see them as often as honey bees, native bees are very important pollinators of native flowers.

Image: Public domain