Posts Tagged: Xylocopa tabaniformis
Meet the Mountain Boy
I call him the Mountain Boy. A male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, appeared in our...
A male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, on a geranium in Vacaville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, peers over a geranium petal in Vacaville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Peek-a-bee! A close-up of a male carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, on a geranium in Vacaville, Calif., on Feb. 27, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Carpenter Bee: Beneficial Insect or Pest?
Let's face it--some folks are not fond of carpenter bees. Honey bees, yes! Bumble bees, yes!...
A female mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, pierces the corolla of salvia to rob the nectar. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, heads for bulbine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A familiar sight: a female Valley carpenter bee, covered with pollen and nectaring on a passion flower. The female is solid black, while the male of this species is a green-eyed blond. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A male Valley carpenter bee, Xyclopa varipuncta, pierces the corolla of a foothill Penstemon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Female carpenter bees, Xyclopa variuncta, often drill holes in limbs of dead trees to build their nests. This find, from Davis naturalist/photographer Allan Jones, shows a male wintering inside one of the holes. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Nectar Robbers
If you have a patch of salvia (sage) growing in your yard, watch for the nectar robbers. Carpenter...
Mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, engaging in nectar robbing. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Side view of nectar robbing by mountain carpenter bee on salvia. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee looks for the hole drilled by a carpenter bee. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Honey bee engaging in nectar robbing. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
I've Been Robbed!
Bees need flowers that correspond to their body size and tongue length in order to effectively...
Big on the Bulbine
Look at the Xylocopa on the Xanthorrhoeaceae. If that sounds like a mouthful, think of the...
A male mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, nectaring on bulbine. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Male mountain carpenter bee, Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, caught in flight. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)