Aussie Man Stumped After Spotting Bright Green Bee

An Australian man has asked for help identifying a bright-green bee that was spotted by his pal while out in the Northern Territory.

Posting in the Amateur Entomology Australia Facebook group, Indo Char shared a selection of snaps of the insect and asked his fellow social media users for help in determining what it was.

He wrote: "Hi, I had this sent to me from a friend and we have a feeling it could possibly be a bee of some kind (carpenter bee perhaps).

Amateur Entomology Australia/Indo Char

"A second opinion would be appreciated... I am located in Darwin, NT."

And it seems as though may have been correct, as others commented to say it was a carpenter bee - also known as a xylocopa.

One person replied: "Your photo is a male carpenter bee Xylocopa. We don't have X. pubescent in Australia."

Another wrote: "Definitely a native Xylocopa (carpenter) bee."

A third said: "Freaky bee, might be a metallic green carpenter bee."

Others were just blown away by the unusual colour of the little dude, with one saying: "Omg that's incredible and so beautiful never seen anything like that before thanks for sharing."

While another person said: "Absolutely stunning that's what it is."

Amateur Entomology Australia/Indo Char

The bees get their name because they tend to burrow into wood - they're one of the largest native bee species in Australia, with adults growing up to almost 2cm in length.

The bees don't have a sting and don't produce honey, but they do work hard pollinating plants across the country.

Last year, social media users reacted with shock after discovering that bright blue bees existed.

The unusual insects can be found all across Australia, except for in Tasmania, and their distinctive bright blue bands make them easy to spot.

Much like your bog-standard bumblebee, the amegilla cingulatas have stings but are not known for being aggressive.

Shutterstock/Sreejith Bharathan

The insects enjoyed a brief spell of viral fame last December after a photographer posted a photo on Facebook, which got Australians chatting about how they had never even heard of the species.

One said: "Never seen a blue bee or knew they existed. Beautiful."

Another person commented: "That's amazing! I've never seen or heard of anything like it!"

Topics: Interesting, Animals, Australia

Claire Reid

Claire is a journalist at LADbible who, after dossing around for a few years, went to Liverpool John Moores University. She graduated with a degree in Journalism and a whole load of debt. When not writing words in exchange for money she is usually at home watching serial killer documentaries surrounded by cats. You can contact Claire at [email protected]

@ClaireReid19