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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees (Apidae) » Carpenter and Small carpenter Bees (Xylocopinae) » Large Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa) » Subgenus Schonnherria (Xylocopa Subgenus Schonnherria) » Southern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa micans)
Photo#1781016
Please identify this bumblebee - Xylocopa micans - male
Copyright © 2020 rtpace1

Please identify this bumblebee - Xylocopa micans - Male
Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area, south Indian River County, Florida, Indian River County, Florida, USA
February 19, 2020
Approximately size of Bombus pennsylvanicus, but less elongate. All the Bombus species photos I saw had dark eyes. Is this light-eyed bee in another genus?
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Contributed by rtpace1 on 20 February, 2020 - 1:26pm
Last updated 23 February, 2020 - 11:18am

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… Bob Biagi, 23 February, 2020 - 11:18am login or register to post comments

Yes, not Bombus. Reminds me o
Yes, not Bombus. Reminds me of Xylocopa micans but it may be a different genus altogether.

If X. micans, compare e.g.

Note the nectar robbing behavior in your photos - neat!
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 20 February, 2020 - 3:43pm login or register to post comments

 
Xylocopa ID
Thanks for the ID. This does appear to be a colorful male. I also had seen females on the same false rosemary (Conradina grandiflora) flowers, but thought they were a distinct species until I saw photos of the nearly all black females. Quite the sexual dimorphism! They do have some heavy piercing mouthparts. I wonder if the flowers endure to successfully pollination. I saw in your profile that you also study Heliconians. This same subtropical hardwood hammock (Oslo Riverfront Conservation Area) where the bee photos were taken has abundant Heliconius charithonia and Dryas iulia.
… rtpace1, 21 February, 2020 - 3:04pm login or register to post comments

 
Oh nice! I love charithonia a
Oh nice! I love charithonia and Dryas, they're so lovely.
… Kelsey J.R.P. Byers, 21 February, 2020 - 4:29pm login or register to post comments

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