Carpenter bees are species in the genus Xylocopa of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant material such as dead wood or bamboo. The main exceptions are species in the subgenus Proxylocopa, which dig nesting tunnels in suitable soil.
Carpenter bee
Xylocopa caerulea, the blue carpenter bee, engaged in nectar robbing
Xylocopa virginica in the United States
Cross-section of the brood chambers of X. violacea, illustrated by Theo Carreras. Tunnels are excavated in wooden posts, divided into chambers which are provisioned, and an egg is laid in each. Each cell initially contains a mass of pollen with the egg, on which the grub will feed. The pupa (lower left) is seen from back and front.
Xylocopa micans, also known as the southern carpenter bee, is a species of bee within Xylocopa, the genus of carpenter bees. The southern carpenter bee can be found mainly in the coastal and gulf regions of the southeastern United States, as well as Mexico and Guatemala. Like all Xylocopa bees, X. micans bees excavate nests in woody plant material. However, unlike its sympatric species Xylocopa virginica, X. micans has not been found to construct nest galleries in structural timbers of building, making it less of an economic nuisance to humans. Carpenter bees have a wide range of mating strategies between different species. The southern carpenter bee exhibits a polymorphic mating strategy, with its preferred method of mating changing as the season progresses from early spring to mid summer. Like most bees in its genus, the southern carpenter bee is considered a solitary bee because it does not live in colonies.
Xylocopa micans
Face of X. micans female with visible lateral ocelli.
Back of X. micans female with white tufts of hair visible.
X. micans specimen pollinating flowers of a Vitex agnus-castus plant.