Western Carpenter (University of Arizona Pollinator Field Guide)

Western Carpenter

Xylocopa californica

Who am I? ³

I know that I can buzz about rather rambunctiously, I can assure you I am a gentle giant (at least until you poke fun at me, of course). I am known as Xylocopa californica, the Western Carpenter bee (or California Carpenter bee). Most of our adults can be seen taking flight during the later, hotter summer months, and are more common in the western region of the United States (hence our name!). We will typically carve out tunnels in untreated wood in preparation of laying young. Unlike termites, however, this does not involve the consumption of wood. Once a good ol' cavity is made, a female will lay an egg on a ball of pollen and nectar at the end of the tunnel and seal the cavity with sawdust. It is necessary for us to bore into wood in order to lay our eggs , but often the effects of this in wooden structures often affects the physical appearance of buildings, which causes some to consider us as pests. But in general we are more so viewed as beneficials from our contributions as pollinators to numerous species of plants.

Quick facts ³

Common name: Western carpenter bee / California carpenter bee

Scientific name:Xylocopa california (Cresson 1864)

Characteristics:

Large body structure typical of carpenter bees
All black with metallic blue-greenish reflections
Will lay young in rotting or decaying wood (creates tunnels (does not consume the wood) and at the very end it leaves a ball of pollen and nectar that it lays the egg on, and then that tunnel is sealed off with sawdust)
Cuts slit into base of corolla to obtain nectar sometimes

Nectar plant: Similar to the Western Honey Bee and the California Digger Bee, most flowering plants will be attractive to this unit of a bee! Click on this link from Discover Life to see the whole list: https://www.discoverlife.org/20/q?search=Xylocopa+californica#Hosts

Distribution: SW United States (Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, Utah), N Mexico

Flight times: Prefers warmer temperatures, will peak during the late summer (Jul. - Sept.). See seasonality: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/57688-Xylocopa-californica

Read more about us here: Black Bees Found in California (Best Bee Brothers), https://bestbeebrothers.com/blogs/blog/california-carpenter-bees

Where can you find me on campus? ³

As said before, Western Carpenter bees obtain nectar from a variety of flowering plants, making them fairly easy to spot in addition to their size. At the University of Arizona, a vast majority of these bees can be found buzzing around the bignonia bushes that are planted around 2nd St. garage and beside the Education and Modern Languages buildings, though they may be able to be spotted prowling around other flower bushes and/or decaying wood.