Biting into a stick for a night's rest Family Anthophoridae Blue-banded Bee - Amegilla cingulata

Blue-banded Bees are known as buzz pollinators. They use a special technique to get the pollen from flowers known as buzz pollination. They hold the flowers and vibrate with a loud buzzing sound. The vibration excites the flower which drops the pollen onto the bees body. Other insects do not know this technique and cannot get the pollen. Every time the bee rests on a flower, you can hear a short loud buzzing sound.

Blue-banded Bees are are native to Australia, although they or their close relatives can be found in other continents. They do sting but they are not aggressive, i.e., they will not attack unless disturbed.

They love blue flowers. To encourage their visit, you may grow more blue flowers in your garden.

Info from one of my favorite insect sites