Blue Carpenter BeeXylocopa virginica
About this species
- Length
- 1 in
- Wingspan
- 2 in
From our Collectors' field notes
Diet
These bees spend their days visiting a variety of flowers to gather sweet nectar and protein-rich pollen. They prefer sturdy, deep-throated blooms that can support their chunky bodies while they snack.
Defense
Males will aggressively buzz and dive-bomb intruders to defend their territory, but it is entirely a bluff. They do not have a stinger. Only the docile females are capable of stinging, but only if physically trapped.
Solitary Queens
These bees are strictly solitary; they do not form hives or swarms. Every female acts as her own independent queen, building her nest and rearing her young completely alone.
Bamboo Nurseries
The mother bee uses her strong jaws to excavate round tunnels into dead wood, creating small, private rooms for her young. She leaves pollen and nectar in each room for the solitary grub to consume before it pupates.
Field Marks
Only the females sport the bright cerulean velvet covering their mid-section. The males look distinctly different, featuring a much darker, almost entirely black appearance.