Rita and her daughters overwinter in their nest and, if the weather is warm enough, they may even be seen foraging for nectar on warm winter days.
Rita has morphological characteristics that define her as a reed bee, but she also has a distinguished personality, befitting her role as mascot for Australian Pollinator Week.
The last three metasomal segments, of her red/brown abdomen, are flattened. She uses these to defend her nest against ants and spiders, by blocking off the entrance with her ‘bottom’.
She has distinctive yellow markings on her clypeaus (forehead), made more distinguished by her gorgeous pompadour. Her black thorax is pinched at the ‘waist’ with an elegant belt and her gold choker highlights her neck. No shaving for this little girl, as she needs those hairy legs to carry pollen back to her nest to feed her babies.