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Hurd, Paul David. 1978. An annotated catalog of the carpenter bees (genus Xylocopa Latreille) of the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae). Smithsonian Institution Press.
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Carpenter Bees - Both Pollinators and Nectar Robbers
Carpenter bees (Xylocopa spp.), also known as large carpenter bees, are so named because they build their nests in wood, using their strong mandibles to create perfectly circular holes. Five species are native to the United States (X. virginica and X. micans are common in the east and X. varipuncta, X. californica, and X. tabaniformis are common in the west). Species in this genus range from Arizona east to Florida, and north to New York and California. Carpenter bees are large and resemble bumble bees (Bombus spp.), except that they lack the hairy abdomens characteristic of bumble bees. Carpenter bees are generalist foragers and are known to pollinate both crop and wild plants. Examples of plants pollinated by carpenter bees include eggplant (Solanum melongena), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), passion fruit (Passiflora edulis) and other species in that genus, cucurbits (Cucurbita spp.), cassias (Cassia spp.), Carolina jessamine (Gelsemium sempervirens), cigar orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum), bee balm (Monarda spp.), aromatic sumac (Rhus aromatica), and wild lupine (Lupinus perennis). They often forage in the early morning and are buzz pollinators - meaning they use vibrations, or sonication, to release pollen grains from the flower's anthers. Carpenter bees typically visit flowers that are large, open-faced with abundant nectar and pollen, ephemeral day-bloomers, pale or saturated in color, and that have a fresh odor, anthers specialized for pollen collection by bees, and corollas with strong walls.
However, not everyone appreciates carpenter bees for the pollination services they provide. These bees are known nectar-robbers - for some long, tubular flowers the bees' bodies are too large to fit inside and they will cut a slit at the bottom of the corolla and take nectar without coming into contact with the flower's pollen. They have been known to "rob" nectar from sage (Salvia spp.), beard-tongue (Penstemon spp.), rabbiteye blueberry (Vaccinium virgatum), and faba bean (Vicia faba). Additionally, carpenter bees can be viewed as pests. These bees nest in wooden structures, like decks, siding, and wooden window trim, and can weaken the structural integrity of the wood. Additionally, they leave defecation streaks below their nests. For these concerns, though, there is an easy fix - a quick coat of paint. Carpenter bees rarely nest in painted or varnished wood.
Announcing the newly expanded online identification guides for male and female Xylocopa on Discover Life! Both guides now include all the species in North America north of Mexico. Please use them and provide feedback to Discover Life.
Carpenter bees are solitary bees. Solitary bees usually build and live in individual nests rather than in a hive or with a colony of bees, while social or communal bees do live colonially in hives or bee communities.
Carpenter Bees
A carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans) on Brazilian vervain (Verbena brasiliensis). Photo copyright Johnny N. Dell, Bugwod.org.
Xylocopa spp.
Description:Carpenter bees are large, usually 20 mm or bigger. They resemble bumble bees (Bombus spp.), except that they have smooth, shiny black abdomens whereas bumble bees have very hairy abdomens. Carpenter bees are typically black, metallic blue, greenish black, or purplish blue. They have pale yellow on the thorax, legs, or abdomen. Some males have yellowish areas on the face and much larger eyes than females.
Life History:For the most part carpenter bees are considered solitary. However, sometimes newly hatched daughters will live together with their mother. These bees are gregarious and will often nest in the same burrow for generations. Males and females emerge in the spring and early summer. Males often dart around outside of a nest waiting to mate with emerging females. Nests are created by tunneling perfectly circular holes into wood, leaving a pile of sawdust behind. Nests are typically 15 mm in diameter and extend about 30 to 45 cm. The nests have a string of individual cells, usually between six and eight, and a partition between each cell made of saliva and sawdust. In each cell the female places a pollen ball and lays one large egg, each egg is up to 15 mm long. The eggs hatch into larvae, which consume the pollen ball, and then enter hibernation. The larvae pupate and turn into adult bees. Adult females can live up to three years and can produce two generations of offspring per year.
Habitat:Carpenter bees nest in wood and prefer bare, weathered, or unpainted wood or softwoods like redwood, cedar, cypress, and pine. However, they will burrow into structures like decks, outdoor furniture, siding, fence railings, and wooden window trim.
Distribution:Carpenter bees are native to the United States. They are found from Arizona east to Florida, and north to New York and California.
