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

Species Xylocopa micans - Southern Carpenter Bee

Pretty one - Xylocopa micans NW Florida Wasp, maybe - Xylocopa micans Green-eyed bee on wild radish - Xylocopa micans - male Florida Horsefly? - Xylocopa micans Southern Carpenter Bee ??? - Xylocopa micans Male Southern Carpenter Bee? view 3 - Xylocopa micans - male Resembles a bumble bee - Xylocopa micans - male Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa) - Xylocopa micans
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)
Family Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)
Subfamily Xylocopinae (Carpenter and Small carpenter Bees)
Genus Xylocopa (Large Carpenter Bees)
No Taxon (Subgenus Schonnherria)
Species micans (Southern Carpenter Bee)
Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
Xylocopa vidua; Xylocopa purpurea
Explanation of Names
Xylocopa micans Lepeletier 1841
micans = 'shining'
Size
14-27 mm(1)
Identification
Male similar to the more widespread X. virginica, but male micans has greenish-blue abdomen rather than purple. Female micans is black and with purple body (all black in virginica).(2)
Range
se US to Guatemala - Map (Discover Life)
Season
mostly Mar-Nov (BG data)
Food
Adults visit various flowers to take nectar, often simply by biting through the base of the flower(1). Hosts associations (3)
Life Cycle
overwinter as adults(1)
Print References
Warriner M.D. (2010) A range extension for the Large Carpenter Bee Xylocopa micans (Hymenoptera: Apidae) with notes on floral and habitat associations. J. Kans. Ent. Soc. 83: 267-269. (JSTOR)
Internet References
Featured Creatures on the two eastern species, X. virginica and X. micans(2)