Eastern carpenter bee

Eastern carpenter bee
Female Xylocopa virginica on Salvia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Xylocopa
Species:
X. virginica
Binomial name
Xylocopa virginica
Linnaeus, 1771
Subspecies
  • X. v. krombeini
  • X. v. texana
  • X. v. virginica

Xylocopa virginica, sometimes referred to as the eastern carpenter bee, extends through the eastern United States and into Canada. They are sympatric with Xylocopa micans in much of southeastern United States.[1] They nest in various types of wood and eat pollen and nectar.[2] In X. virginica, dominant females do not focus solely on egg-laying, as in other bee species considered to have "queens". Instead, dominant X. virginica females are responsible for a full gamut of activities including reproduction, foraging, and nest construction, whereas subordinate bees may engage in little activity outside of guarding the nest.[3]

  1. ^ Warriner, Michael D. (2010). "A Range Extension for the Large Carpenter Bee Xylocopa micans (Hymenoptera: Apidae) with Notes on Floral and Habitat Associations". Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 83 (3): 267–269. doi:10.2317/jkes0910.14.1. S2CID 86479836.
  2. ^ Gerling, Dan; Hermann, Henry R. (1978-06-01). "Biology and mating behavior of Xylocopa virginica L. (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae)". Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 3 (2): 99–111. doi:10.1007/BF00294984. ISSN 0340-5443. S2CID 33309938.
  3. ^ Richards, Miriam H. (2011-06-14). "Colony Social Organisation and Alternative Social Strategies in the Eastern Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa virginica". Journal of Insect Behavior. 24 (5): 399–411. doi:10.1007/s10905-011-9265-9. ISSN 0892-7553. S2CID 23307629.