Posts Tagged: Xylocopa varipuncta
Carpenter Bee: Beneficial Insect or Pest?
Let's face it--some folks are not fond of carpenter bees. Honey bees, yes! Bumble bees, yes!...
A female mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, pierces the corolla of salvia to rob the nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, heads for bulbine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A familiar sight: a female Valley carpenter bee, covered with pollen and nectaring on a passion flower. The female is solid black, while the male of this species is a green-eyed blond. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xyclopa varipuncta, pierces the corolla of a foothill Penstemon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Female carpenter bees, Xyclopa variuncta, often drill holes in limbs of dead trees to build their nests. This find, from Davis naturalist/photographer Allan Jones, shows a male wintering inside one of the holes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sharing the Bounty with the Bees
Move over, monarchs. Bees--and other pollinators--gravitate toward the enticing aroma of the...
A male leafcutter bee, Megachile sp., in flight, heading toward the milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male leafcutter bee, Megachile sp., sips nectar from a milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, a green-eyed blond, sipping nectar from the milkweed.(Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A female Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, sipping nectar from the milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A honey bee leaving with pollinia (pollen structure) from the milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
That Cuddly Teddy Bear Bee
Oh, that cuddly teddy bear. The male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, also known as...
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, sipping nectar from a broadleaf milkweed, Asclepias speciosa. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male Valley carpenter bee, aka teddy bear bee, claims a blossom. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Sweet stuff! A male Valley carpenter bee curls to grab some nectar from a broadleaf milkweed. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A monarch butterfly flutters in, but the male Valley carpenter bee refuses to budge. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Most Unusual Photo
It's an incredible photo. Nicole "Nikki" Nicola, a staff research associate in the Frank Zalom lab...
Male and female of the same species, Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipunta, share a single passionflower blossom. The female is solid black and the male, a green-eyed blond. (Photo by Nicole Nicola)
A pollen-dusted female Valley carpenter bee exits the passionflower vine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Male Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, on a germander bush. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Who's the Boss of the Lavender?
Some folks refer to them as "those big, black scary bumble bees." They're not bumble bees. They're...
A Valley carpenter bee and a honey bee sharing the same lavender stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Close-up of the Valley carpenter bee. You can easily see the pollen dust on her. First and foremost, the Valley carpenter bee is a pollinator. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
"This is mine! This is all mine!" A Valley carpenter bee clings to the top of the lavender stem. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)