Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada
 

Register · Log In
HomeGuideID RequestRecentFrassForumsDonateHelp
Clickable Guide
Moths Butterflies Flies Caterpillars Flies Dragonflies Flies Mantids Cockroaches Bees and Wasps Walkingsticks Earwigs Ants Termites Hoppers and Kin Hoppers and Kin Beetles True Bugs Fleas Grasshoppers and Kin Ticks Spiders Scorpions Centipedes Millipedes

Calendar
BugGuide Gathering
Pack Forest
Washington State
July 10-12, 2009
Details...

Photos from the 2009 gathering
 
Photos from the 2008 gathering in Tennessee
 
Photos from the 2007 gathering in Minnesota

TaxonomyBrowseInfoImagesLinksBooksData
Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Bees, Ants, and other Stinging Wasps » Anthophila (Apoidea) - Bees » Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees (Apidae) » Carpenter Bees (Xylocopinae) » Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa) » Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) » Xylocopa virginica virginica
Photo#104021
Carpenter Bee on Narcissus - Xylocopa virginica
Copyright © 2007 Marvin and Jo Smith

Carpenter Bee on Narcissus - Xylocopa virginica
Searcy County, Arkansas, USA
April 16, 2007
Carpenter bees evidently find feeding on narcissus flowers difficult. Their solution is to pierce the stem right behind the flower.
tag · login or register to post comments
Contributed by Marvin and Jo Smith on 19 April, 2007 - 12:25am
Last updated 19 November, 2009 - 9:56pm

Moved
Moved from Carpenter Bees.
… John S. Ascher, 19 November, 2009 - 9:56pm login or register to post comments

"Nectar robbing"
This is a really neat shot demonstrating the phenomenon of "nectar robbing." Many bees do this, but Xylocopa may be best known for it. It has many advantages. The bee is not vulnerable to predators (including entomologists!) by having its head stuck down a flower; it doesn't have to deal with all that messy pollen; it can reach nectar in really long, tubular flowers that it couldn't normally reach with its too-short 'tongue.'
… Eric R. Eaton, 19 April, 2007 - 3:47pm login or register to post comments

 
Thanks
for cluing me in on the practice of nectar robbing. A little bit of Googling revealed that there is a great deal of study and discussion trying to determine if nectar robbing is or isn't detrimental to overall pollination. The answer seems to be it depends -- upon a variety of factors, especially the species of plant.
… Marvin and Jo Smith, 21 April, 2007 - 2:58am login or register to post comments

Comment viewing options
Select your preferred way to display the comments and click 'Save settings' to activate your changes.

Disclaimer: Dedicated naturalists volunteer their time and resources here to provide this service. We strive to provide accurate information, but we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world. If you need expert professional advice, contact your local extension office.

Contributors own the copyright to and are solely responsible for contributed content.
Click the contributor's name for licensing and usage information.
Everything else copyright © 2003-2009 Iowa State University, unless otherwise noted.

Bugguide is hosted by Iowa State University Entomology.

Printer Friendly Version 		Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Site Map
Contact