Wild Bees

Four wild bees adorn the latest issue of self-adhesive definitive stamps. Around 550 species of the superfamily Apoidea - with the exception of the honey bee - are grouped under the term wild bees. Even if the name suggests it, wild bees are by no means wild archetypes or feral strains of the honey bee.

The "Large Scabious Mining Bee" (face value: CHF 0.90) can be seen from June to August. The pink pollen on its hind legs is conspicuous, as it gathers its food exclusively on field scabiosas. One of the largest bees in the Liechtenstein region is the "Carpenter Bee" (face value: CHF 1.10). It can grow up to three centimetres long. Its pure black body and blue-black wings make it easy to spot in the field.

The habitat of the "Mountain Bumblebee" (face value: CHF 1.80) is in sparse woods in the high mountains. This northern, hardy species, which is resistant to the cold, can be recognised by its yellow-black-orange rump. Unlike the other wild bee species, the "Cuckoo Bee" (face value: CHF 2.30) does not look after its brood and therefore does not need a collecting device for pollen. It lays its eggs in the nest of a Macropis bee like a cuckoo.