Xylocopoda

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Xylocopini
Genus: Xylocopa
Subgenus: Xylocopoda, Hurd and Moure 1963Hurd and Moure 1963:
Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.
Common name: Carpenter bee

Background

Xylocopa (Xylocopoda) are elongate, small to medium sized bees, 10 – 18 mm in length, with brown to black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
. Males have almost entirely pale to brown pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
and females have primarily black pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
with pale, brown, or red pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
on the thorax and last abdominal segments. Their wings are light brown with weak iridescent reflections (Hurd and Moure 1963Hurd and Moure 1963:
Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.). This subgenus is rare and poorly documented (Schlindwein et al. 2003Schlindwein et al. 2003:
Schlindwein, C., Schlumpberger, B., Wittmann, D. and Moure, J.S., 2003. O gecirc;nero Xylocopa Latreille no Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (Hymenoptera, Anthophoridae). Revista Brasileira de Entomologia , 47 , pp.107-118.).

Diversity

Xylocopa (Xylocopoda) contains 2 species, Xylocopa elegans and Xylocopa madida (Hurd and Moure 1963Hurd and Moure 1963:
Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.; Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Distribution

Xylocopa (Xylocopoda) occurs in Brazil (Minas Gerais and Paraná) and Argentina (Misiones) (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

Host associations

Floral associations are unknown.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Hurd and Moure 1963Hurd and Moure 1963:
Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.)

• Mandible mandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  bidentatebidentate:
  having two teeth
  .
• Malar area malar area:
  the shortest distance between the base of the mandible and the margin of the compound eye
  short.
• Scutum scutum:
  the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
  broadly impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  .
• Scutellum scutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  weakly convexconvex:
  curved outward
  in profile.
• Hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with one apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spine.
• Male eyes enlarged and more convergent above than below.
• Male frontal carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present as sharp, moderately or strongly elevated, ridge.
• Male basitibial platebasitibial plate:
  a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
  present and simple.
• Male hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with high, thin lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  ridge on the ventralventral:
  of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
  surface.
• Female frontal carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present as a moderately elevate sharp ridge and/or tubercletubercle:
  a small knob-like or rounded protuberance
  .
• Female paraocular areaparaocular area:
  the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
  abruptly and angularly raised on lower portion.
• Female pygidial platepygidial plate:
  unusually flat area (a plate) surrounded by a ridge or line and sometimes sticking well off of the end of the bee; if present, found on the sixth upper abdominal segment in females, seventh in males
  with subapicalsubapical:
  located just behind the apex of the segment or body part
  laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines present.

May be confused with

Xylocopa (Xylocopoda) are most similar to X. (Cirroxylocopa). X. (Xylocopoda) males can be distinguished from all other subgenera by the high lamellatelamellate:
thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
ridge on the hind tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
. Females can be distinguished by the raised, angulateangulate:
forming an angle rather than a curve
lower portion of the paraocular areaparaocular area:
the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
(Hurd and Moure 1963Hurd and Moure 1963:
Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.).

Nesting behavior

Nesting behaviors are unknown.

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

References

Hurd, P.D. and J.S. Moure. 1963. A Classification of the Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopine) (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). University of California Publications in Entomology (Vol. 29). Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press, 365 pp.

Keasar, T. 2010. Large Carpenter Bees as Agricultural Pollinators. Psyche doi:10.1155/2010/927463.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.