A Canary Carpenter Bee getting busy on a summer morning
As the summer breeze is blowing you can here this Black Carpenter Bee buzzing
A female going for a a soft, floral landing
A male perfectly blending with its beautiful yellow floral surrounding
Black Carpenter Bee Dynamic Duo
The blue compound eyes truly got my attention
Fully engorged, fully engaged
Hide and Seek: Can you spot the Carpenter Bee?
CB you are clear for landing
Hovering in a sea of bright yellow blossoms
Jogging-Walking Pathway of Zabeel Park, Dubai: Summer morning, the sun is up, it was truly windy all across the Park. As I was doing my walking rounds, I found patches of bright yellow blossoms along the pathway. Close examination of these blossoms revealed numerous Carpenter Bees truly engaged in their pollination endeavors. Flying, hovering, landing, moving, gathering in a floral sea of yellow, these Carpenter Bees, were a sight to behold!
The Black Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa spp, and Canary Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa pubescens (APIDAE)
The Black Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa spp.) are large and robust bees, with a shiny black, metallic sheen. Its thorax is covered with black hair and the dorsal side of its abdomen is glossy and bare. Females have a black head while the males have a white marking on its head and a dense bunch of hair on its hind legs. Their wings are shiny black. Females can grow up to 40mm.
The Canary Carpenter Bees, Xylocopa pubescens are also large and robust bees. The females can grow up to 25mm and the males up to 18mm. The females have mainly black abdomen and the thorax is covered with a yellow hair. The males are more covered in yellow hair. Females have black compound eyes while the males have greehish-yellow eyes. Wings of females are shiny black and the male wings are speckled and lighter in color.
Biodynamics Notes
The Carpenter Bees got its name due to its nesting behavior, where all species burrow into wood, bamboo or any hard plant materials. The fertilized females bore into the wood, excavates a tunnel to lay eggs. They do not eat wood. During nest construction, they discard the pieces of wood or re-use these pieces to make partitions for their cells.
For a more detailed discussion on the Carpenter Bee Biodynamics and Distribution, please check out my feature last July 06, 2021 (A Carpenter Bee Encounter at the Warzan Desert in Dubai).
The Carpenter Bees may be large, distracting, and the loud buzzing sound is quite disturbing but take note that the males are harmless and they do not have a stinger. The females are capable of stinging but are very docile and will not sting unless directly handled or provoked.
These robust bees have short mouth parts and are major pollinators of numerous flowering plants.
Dear PMPs if they are not a direct threat to you and to your customers, please DO NOT KILL THESE BEES! Kindly allow them to pollinate the beautiful flowers and gather the needed nectar.
Observing these robust bees as they forage on the patches of yellow blossoms around the Zabeel Park, in the warmth of the early morning sun, was quite an awesome treat!
Awesome creatures! Awesome CREATOR!
Thanks for your support and careful attention.
If you need Pest Management Training, Technical Field Support, On-Line and On-Site Consultancy, please feel free to send me an email: odelon.reyes@gmail.com
