Valley carpenter bee

Xylocopa varipuncta, the valley carpenter bee, is one of three species of carpenter bee found from western New Mexico to southern California. Females are a metallic black while males are fuzzy and gold with green eyes. They are the largest bees found in California, growing to around 1 inch (2.5 cm) in length. (Source: Wikipedia, '', http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylocopa_varipuncta, CC BY-SA 3.0 . Photo: (c) dickwood, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by dickwood)

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Valley Carpenter Bee from coyoacan on July 21, 2014 by Jorge Rojas S.. Abejorro en una olla de barro zapoteco

When you first encounter the Valley Carpenter Bee, it can be frightening. The bees are large, the whole genus of them is. They are about a third as long as a hummingbird. Metallic black, bulky, inch-long females buzz like black helicopters, humming from flower to blossom. Do you want to find out more? keep reading to find [...] The post Valley Carpenter Bee: Facts & Behaviors appeared first on Pestclue.

Central Valley CA carpenter bee. I got this with one shot. It is NOT a composite photo

What happens when the biggest #bee in California meets the sweetest bee in the world? Valley carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta and honey bee, Apis mellifera.

The Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa varipunctata) is the largest species of bee in California, and they are not messing around. They are huge! The females, which are completely black and very dramat…

The Valley Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa varipunctata) is the largest species of bee in California, and they are not messing around. They are huge! The females, which are completely black and very dramatic looking, can get up to just over an inch long, and the males, which are yellow with green eyes, are only slightly smaller!…

Sue Petterson –Valley Carpenter Bee on Flickr