Xylocopa virginica
| Eastern Carpenter Bee | |
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| Female Xylocopa virginica on Salvia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Apidae |
| Subfamily: | Xylocopinae |
| Genus: | Xylocopa |
| Subgenus: | (Xylocopoides) |
| Species: | X. virginica |
| Binomial name | |
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Xylocopa virginica Linnaeus, 1771 |
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| Subspecies | |
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| External identifiers for Xylocopa virginica | |
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| Encyclopedia of Life | 1045713 |
| Also found in: | |
Xylocopa virginica, more commonly known as the eastern carpenter bee, extends through the Eastern United States and into Canada. They nest in various types of wood and eat pollen and nectar. The eastern carpenter bee is similar to most other bee species in that it does not have a queen; in Xylocopa virginica, dominant females are responsible for reproduction, foraging, and nest construction, though they may sometimes have help from their daughters.Xylocopa virginica is a sympatric species with Xylocopa micans in the southeastern United States.
The bee is similar in size to bumblebees, but has a metallic, mostly black body with a slight purple tint. The X. virginica males and females have generally the same mass, but can be differentiated visually by the male's longer body and the female's wider head. The males also have a white spot on their face. Additionally, the males have larger thoracic volumes for given masses. Females of different social standing can also be told apart based on morphology. Primary females are larger than secondary or tertiary females, and additionally primary females have more mandibular and wing wear.
X. virginica have unique maxillae that are designed to perform perforations on corolla tubes to reach nectaries. Their maxillae are "sharp and wedge-shaped", allowing them to split the side of corolla tubes externally to access the nectar. The Eastern carpenter bees also have galae on their maxillae that are shaped like large, flat blades. Research has shown that individuals with sharp galae can use these to further aid in penetrating the corolla tubes.
X. virginica belongs to the genus Xylocopa, which consists of over 400 species worldwide, in the subgenus Xylocopoides, which contains only 5 New World species, including Xylocopa californica, which also occurs in the U.S.
The distribution of the genus Xylocopa stretches over most continents. Members of this genus are usually found in tropical and subtropical climates, while X. virginica is found only in the eastern portion of North America.
X. virginica build their nests in wood, bamboo culms, agave stalks, and other comparable materials, but they prefer to nest in milled pine or cedar lumber. The nests are built by scraping wood shavings off of the wall. These shavings are then used to create partitions between nesting cells. The entrance cuts into the wood perpendicular to the grain, but they are built parallel beyond the entrance. These nests may be either social, containing groups of two to five females, or solitary. Social nests are more common, despite the fact that brood productivity is actually lower when females choose to nest together. Because X. virginica builds its nests in wood structures, it is common for them to nest in constructed furniture or buildings.X. virginica is the most common large carpenter bee in eastern North America, and they nest in small groups, so their nests are fairly commonly encountered.
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Wikipedia