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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)

Species Xylocopa micans - Southern Carpenter Bee

Classification · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Blue/Green Irridescent Bee - Xylocopa micans - male Black Bee - Xylocopa micans Black bee on Goldenrod - Xylocopa micans - female Unknown Bee - Xylocopa micans Long shot Bee - Xylocopa micans Xylocopa sp. - Xylocopa micans - female Small dark bee on blue salvia 5970 - Xylocopa micans - female 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)
Wild Bees of the NBC
Works Cited
1.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
2.University of Florida: Featured Creatures
3.Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2024) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
Contributed by Cotinis on 7 October, 2004 - 4:49am
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, John S. Ascher, v belov, Chuck Sexton, hg
Last updated 5 November, 2019 - 5:24pm

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