This bee, which is close to bumble-bee in size, is solitary and has a shiny black carapace (body) with thin wings that have a reddish brown sheen. It is known for drilling perfectly round holes into wood (it seems likely that is how it got the common name “carpenter bee”). It is a solitary bee that hibernates during winter. Starting in late March, one individual showed up in my yard. A few weeks later, another specimen (same one?) showed up.
This unusual bee is native to Europe and is one of the largest bees that lives there. It makes its nests in dead wood.
Females have a stinger, whereas the males do not (they are harmless).
It is restricted to latitudes near or above 30 degrees or so. It is found in Europe, India, central China, and southwestern USA (i.e., southern California. ). To date, I have only seen two specimens, and they like
purple flowers.
Classification
Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Arthropoda
Class Insecta
Order Hymenoptera
Family Apidae
Genus Xylocopa
Type Species X. violacea (Linnaeus, 1758).
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