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Short-tongued Bee (Leioproctus contrarius)

Leioproctus contrarius is a native bee recorded from south-west Western Australia, including the Swan Coastal Plain. Its ecological requirements are poorly known, so suitable bushland should be checked carefully before clearing.

Conservation status

Western Australia, WA Threatened and Priority Fauna List: Priority 3.

Seasonal guidance

A flight, breeding or survey season for Leioproctus contrarius has not been documented.

Phenology: No species-specific months are documented.

Planning: Arrange site checks before disturbance rather than relying on a presumed seasonal window.

Do not infer seasonal activity or a breeding period from this planning guidance.

  • Survey and works planning: Planning window only. Species activity and detectability months are not recorded; time checks to the project programme and obtain ecological advice.

Identification: Appearance and size

Identification information is limited. Take clear photographs and avoid relying on colour alone.

The description is of a female. Her body is mainly black and brown, with white to yellowish and brown hairs.

Female body length is reported as 10 mm and forewing length as 7 mm. A description of the male is not available.

Identification: Similar species

Diagnostic comparisons with similar bee species have not been documented. Identification to species level may require examination by a suitably experienced bee specialist.

Identification: Field signs

No species-specific nest, burrow or other field sign has been described. A flying bee alone is not a confirmed record of this species.

Distribution: Known range

Records and published descriptions place the species in south-west Western Australia, with the Swan Coastal Plain specifically noted.

The species is endemic to Australia and occurs in south-west Western Australia. It has been observed only on the Swan Coastal Plain.

Atlas of Living Australia records show 28 Western Australian records in seven distinct 0.1-degree locations, spanning latitude -33.4 to -27.5 and longitude 114.7 to 116. Records outside Western Australia are excluded as likely errors.

Distribution: Western Australian regions

The DBCA Priority Fauna List flags the Swan region. Bullsbrook is the type locality.

Habitat: Recorded habitat context

Habitat information is limited. Banksia woodland on the Swan Coastal Plain is identified as likely habitat, but may not be the only habitat used.

A desktop assessment identifies Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain as likely habitat for Leioproctus contrarius.

Habitat: Site interpretation

Do not assume that every Banksia woodland patch is occupied or that other native vegetation is unsuitable. The species' full habitat requirements are not known.

Foraging habitat: Adult feeding

Adult feeding is described broadly, but plant associations and preferred foraging sites have not been documented.

Adults are described as flying mellivores. Particular flowers, plant species and foraging habitat have not been identified for this bee.

Foraging habitat: Field precautions

Where suitable native vegetation is present, retain flowering vegetation where practicable until surveys and ecological advice are complete. This is a precautionary measure, not a documented species-specific plant association.

Breeding habitat: Known information

Breeding biology is poorly known.

Nesting location, nest structure, breeding period and immature stages have not been documented for Leioproctus contrarius.

Breeding habitat: Precaution

Do not infer nest locations from the species name or from general bee biology. If bees are observed repeatedly in one area, record the location and behaviour and seek advice from a bee specialist before disturbing it.

Sheltering habitat: Evidence available

The species' resting and sheltering places have not been described.

Where adults shelter and where nests are located are unknown. No species-specific sheltering feature can be used to rule the species in or out.

Sheltering habitat: Site practice

Avoid unnecessary disturbance to native vegetation and ground features within potential habitat while surveys or specialist checks are under way. Treat this as a precaution, not evidence of a known shelter type.

Threats: Status

The species is poorly known and has a DBCA Priority 3 status. No species-specific threat assessment is available.

DBCA lists Leioproctus contrarius in the Priority 3 category, meaning it is poorly known, known from several locations and not under imminent threat, according to the 1 July 2025 list details. The Swan region is flagged. No national listing applies.

Threats: Potential site risks

Clearing can remove vegetation identified as likely habitat. The severity of this risk for the species and any other specific threats have not been established.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Species-specific detectability and survey timing are not documented. Use targeted bee survey practice as a general method, and make identification confidence clear.

Check current project-area records and habitat mapping, including whether Banksia woodland on the Swan Coastal Plain is present. Occupancy at any particular development site has not been established.

Survey methodology: 2. Field searches

As general practice for bee surveys, search flowering vegetation for visiting bees and record the date, time, weather, plant visited, behaviour and precise location. A survey season or detectability conditions for this species have not been established.

Survey methodology: 3. Identification and records

Photograph or collect specimens only where permitted and appropriate. Seek expert identification if the species cannot be confidently distinguished, and record uncertain observations as such rather than confirming them as Leioproctus contrarius.

Vegetation associations: Woodland

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

A desktop assessment identifies Banksia Woodlands of the Swan Coastal Plain as likely habitat for Leioproctus contrarius.

Automatically indexed from existing profile text. Not a verified preference, mapped occurrence or habitat requirement. Check the original source and regional qualifiers before use.

Evidence: Unreviewed profile-derived candidate

Confidence: Not independently verified

Region: Scope as described in the quoted profile text; not independently verified. Profile states: WA.

Habitat use: general

Attribution gap: No sentence-level reference is attached to the original profile block. Review the profile bibliography; this candidate is not source-verified.

Ecosystem associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific ecosystem association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Soil and substrate associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific soil association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Water and wetland associations

Source-checked associations and automatically indexed candidates are separated below. An association does not establish site presence, preference or dependence.

No species-specific water association has been indexed or source-checked in this evidence library. This is an evidence gap, not evidence of no association.

Fauna records and mapped habitat: Not yet analysed

Record locations can be overlaid with mapping, but record frequency alone does not measure habitat preference. No species is excluded from desktop assessments by this analysis.

No quality-controlled record-to-map analysis has been completed for this species. The existing generalised distribution dots and indicative range polygons have not been treated as precise occurrence coordinates.

A defensible run needs dated, independently attributable records, coordinate uncertainty, duplicate and captive-record checks, layer versions and regional scope. Preference and absence require additional survey-effort and detection evidence.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: No supported exclusion recorded

Not recorded is not the same as cannot occur. Low suitability, resident habitat, breeding habitat and occasional movement are different conclusions.

This library has not established a vegetation, ecosystem or soil-type exclusion for this species. This does not mean all habitat is suitable; the evidence needed to justify an exclusion has not been assembled.

Habitat limitations and contrary evidence: Before using a negative association

  • Confirm the taxon, geographic region, life stage and habitat function covered by the evidence.
  • Check survey methods, season, repeated effort and detectability before interpreting non-detection.
  • Investigate credible contradictory records and microhabitats absent from broad mapping.
  • Do not convert a missing map class, low record count or failed data request into species absence.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Review the footprint

Plan checks early where works may affect native vegetation that could provide habitat.

Map native vegetation and any Banksia woodland within and adjacent to the proposed disturbance area. Compare the site with available species records and do not assume the species is absent because no records are mapped.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Arrange checks

Where suitable vegetation is present, obtain ecological advice on whether a targeted bee survey is warranted before clearing. No species-specific survey month has been established.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Brief the crew

Explain the species' Priority 3 status, the limits of current knowledge and the stop-work and escalation process for a suspected observation.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Check before clearing

Proceed cautiously where vegetation identified as potential habitat is being disturbed, and respond promptly to bee observations.

Confirm that the approved work area and any agreed vegetation-retention measures are marked before machinery enters the site.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to observations

If a bee suspected to be this species is observed, pause work in the immediate area where safe to do so. Photograph it if possible, record the location and behaviour, and contact the project ecologist for identification advice.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Avoid unsupported assumptions

Do not assume that a bee is Leioproctus contrarius based only on its size, colour or presence in Banksia woodland. Do not infer a nest location from what is known about the species.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Document outcomes

Keep records of observations and actions so that project decisions can be reviewed.

Record survey effort, observations, identification confidence, locations, vegetation affected and any work pauses or changes made.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Escalate confirmed records

Refer a confirmed or potentially significant record to the project ecologist and follow applicable DBCA and project reporting requirements. No species-specific post-disturbance response has been prescribed.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Retain suitable vegetation

Rehabilitation should be guided by local ecological advice; no species-specific restoration approach has been established.

Where practicable, protect remaining native vegetation identified as potential habitat from avoidable damage during works.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Plan rehabilitation

Use site-specific ecological advice to set rehabilitation objectives and monitor vegetation recovery. Do not assume that planting a particular species will benefit Leioproctus contrarius, as its plant associations have not been documented.

Sources