Butt that looks like a caterpillar

I'm afraid I was in a bit of a rush this morning. I had allowed 1 hour in the forest before taking stuff to the op shop and getting back for an afternoon appointment. It was all very quiei but overcast and rain threatening. It was also quite humid.
My favourite flowering bushes are where I found this bee. The River Bottlebrush and the other kunzea were finished, but this one was just out. It was covered in insects and a number of wasp species. But I noticed this bee straight off because of its waggling back end every time it landed. It did look like a moth caterpillar poking out - black/grey with an orange head.
I got a bit lucky with the photos. The bee was quite small but I managed to move back a little and get some good ID and framing photos. I've never seen anything like this bee before.
I've had some trouble getting my native bee shots ID'd in the past. I now own a copy of Native Bees of the ACT and NSW South Coast A SPotter's Guide by Peter Abbott 2022, but it's difficult for a novice like me to find the bee without trawling every single page.

Posted on December 23, 2023 07:55 PM by