Overview
Douglas’ Broad-headed Bee (Hesperocolletes douglasi) is one of the most famous ‘Lazarus species’ in insect biology. Collected only once in 1934 on Rottnest Island and feared extinct for over eight decades, this unique solitary plasterer bee was miraculously rediscovered in 2015, representing the sole living representative of an ancient colletid genus.
Biology and Physical Characteristics
Hesperocolletes douglasi is a medium-sized solitary bee easily recognized by its unusually broad, flattened head capsule and prominent, forward-facing mandibles. Its cuticle is a glossy, deep polished black, accented on the thorax and legs with dense, feathery golden-buff branched hairs designed for gathering dry pollen grains. Its wings are faintly smoky with dark brown veins, and its abdomen features delicate, subtle pale hair bands on the margins of the terga.
Behavior and Ecology
Unlike social honeybees, Douglas’ broad-headed bee is a solitary nester. Female bees excavate individual vertical nest tunnels deep into well-drained calcareous coastal dune sands. They line the brood cell chambers with a cellophane-like, waterproof polymeric secretion produced by specialized Dufour’s glands. Each cell is provisioned with a liquid mixture of regurgitated nectar and pollen before a single egg is laid and the burrow carefully sealed.
Conservation and Human Impact
Evaluated as Critically Endangered, this solitary bee remains exceptionally rare, with only a few dozen individuals documented since its rediscovery. Urban coastal expansion around the Perth metropolitan region, heavy recreational vehicle use on coastal dunes, and frequent wildfires that incinerate native forage plants represent constant dangers. Conservation initiatives focus on protecting coastal heath corridors and propagating favored foraging plants like native Jacksonia and coastal wattles.
Interesting Factoid
Feared totally extinct for 81 years after only a single specimen was found in 1934, Douglas’ Broad-headed Bee was rediscovered by entomologists buzzing happily around wildflowers on Rottnest Island in 2015.
Last updated: October 2026