Rhysoxylocopa

Taxonomy

Family: Apidae
Subfamily: Xylocopinae
Tribe: Xylocopini
Genus: Xylocopa
Subgenus: Rhysoxylocopa, 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 (Rhysoxylocopa) are small to medium sized bees, 10 – 25 mm in length, with dark brown to black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
. They have a thick, almost entirely pale, pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
throughout their body. Their wings are hyalinehyaline:
transparent, glassy
to dark brown with little to no 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.).

Diversity

Xylocopa (Rhysoxylocopa) contains 8 species (Ascher and Pickering 2022Ascher and Pickering 2022:
Ascher, J.S. and J. Pickering. 2022. Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila). https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=Nodulaamp;name=Xylocopaamp;flags=subgenus:).

Distribution

Xylocopa (Rhysoxylocopa) is known from France, Spain, and Northern Africa (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

Xylocopa (Rhysoxylocopa) are generalist pollinators, like many Xylocopa subgenera, and have been observed visiting the flowers of the plant families Asteraceae, Cardueae, Fabaceae, and Lamiaceae (Terzo et al. 2007Terzo et al. 2007:
Terzo M., S. Iserbyt, and P. Rasmont. 2007. Reacute;vision des Xylocopinae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) de France et de Belgique. Annales de la Socieacute;teacute; Entomologique de France 43 (4): 445‒491.).

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.)

• Malar space short.
• Mandibles bidentatebidentate:
  having two teeth
  .
• 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
  tooth.
• Scutellum scutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  convexly rounded.
• Male frontal carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  present.
• Male basitibial platebasitibial plate:
  a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
  present and simple.
• Male propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  spiracles asymmetrical and complex.
• Female first flagellar segment equal to or longer than the combined length of the following three.
• Female basitibial platebasitibial plate:
  a small plate at the base of the hind tibia, like a kneecap
  present and bifidbifid:
  divided into two branches; forked
  .
• 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 (Rhysoxylocopa) is most similar to X. (Xylomelissa). Males of X. (Rhysoxylocopa) can be distinguished by their small, asymmetrical, and complex propodealpropodeal:
the last segment of the thorax
spiracles. Females can be distinguished by the long length of the first flagellar segment (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

The nesting habits of Xylocopa (Rhysoxylocopa) have not been recorded but it is likely that they nest in stems and branches like most other Xylocopa subgenera.

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.

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

Terzo, M., S. Iserbyt, and P. Rasmont. 2007. Révision des Xylocopinae (Hymenoptera: Apidae) de France et de Belgique. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 43(4): 445-491.