Cirroxylocopa

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Xylocopini
Genus: Xylocopa
Subgenus: Cirroxylocopa, 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 (Cirroxylocopa) are small bees, 10 – 15 mm in length, with black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
sometimes with metallic hints when viewed in bright light. Males have dense pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
that is pale on the head, thorax, forelegsforelegs:
usually refers to the first pair of legs, the ones closest to the head
, the first metasomal tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
, and on the underside of the abdomen and dark elsewhere. Females have less pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
overall but have very dense pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
on the metasomal tergaterga:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
. The pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
ranges from black to dark brown on the head and thorax and is black everywhere else (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.).

Diversity

Xylocopa (Cirroxylocopa) only contains one species, Xylocopa vestita (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.).

Distribution

Xylocopa (Cirroxylocopa) is found in southern Brazil and Paraguay (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

Most members of the genus Xylocopa are generalist pollinators, meaning that they will pollinate almost any flower that they can fit into. Carpenter bees may also engage in nectar robbing, a behavior in which a hole is bored into the base of a flower to get access to the nectar of the flower (Keasar 2010Keasar 2010:
Keasar, T. 2010. Large Carpenter Bees as Agricultural Pollinators. Psyche doi:10.1155/2010/927463.). Xylocopa (Cirroxylocopa) is most likely a generalist pollinator (Moura 2003Moura 2003:
Moura, D.C. 2003. Riqueza e abundacirc;ncia de abelhas em diferentes estaacute;gios de degradaccedil;atilde;o da caatinga como indicadores ambientais no entorno da usina hidreleacute;trica de Xingoacute;. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco https://repositorio.ufpe.br/handle/123456789/6776.).

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.)

• Eyes usually convergent above
• Ocelli below the summits of the eyes and without laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  elevated ridges
• Scutellum scutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  flat, not convexconvex:
  curved outward
  in profile.
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  more or less horizontal anterodorsally before declivous posterior surface.
• Gradulus gradulus:
  A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
  complete on T2T2:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  and present but incomplete on T3-T4.
• Male eyes frequently enlarged.
• Male tegulategula:
  the usually oval, small shield-like structure carried at the extreme base of the wing where it attaches to the body
  impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  , glabrous and shining on at least posterolateral third.
• Male hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  inner distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  end of hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  bearing an enlarged, flattened, highly polished tubercletubercle:
  a small knob-like or rounded protuberance
  .
• Female pygidialpygidial:
  the terminal part or hind segment of the body
  spine simple or armed on each side with a single subapicalsubapical:
  located just behind the apex of the segment or body part
  spine.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  with lower tooth at least equal to, usually much wider than, upper tooth or teeth.

May be confused with

Xylocopa (Cirroxylocopa) look most similar to X. (Nanoxylocopa) and X. (Schoenherria). X. (Cirroxylocopa) can be differentiated by the complete gradulusgradulus:
A transverse line on abdominal segments of some bees that is formed by a groove or a step between two regions that differ in height. This line can be well developed and present across the entire segment but can also be diminished or absent through part of the segment, requiring close inspection.
on T2T2:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
.

Nesting behavior

The nesting biology of Xylocopa (Cirroxylocopa) is unknown but most members of Xylocopa bore into woody stems and branches to construct nests. Some species show specific preferences for nest sites, but most do not or have not had preferences reported (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). ­­­­­

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.

Moura, D.C. 2003. Riqueza e abundância de abelhas em diferentes estágios de degradação da caatinga como indicadores ambientais no entorno da usina hidrelétrica de Xingó. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco https://repositorio.ufpe.br/handle/123456789/6776.