Distribution
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Worldwide. |
Biology
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Solitary, communal, subsocial or eusocial bees that
usually construct nests in dead wood, stems, or pith. Carpenter bees bore tunnels into wood to construct a
nest, which they provision with a mixture of pollen and nectar
sculptured into an elongate shape. This acts as a food source for their
developing larvae. A number of partitions (each containing a single
larva) may be constructed within the tunnel, the partitions are made out
of chewed wood. |
References
|
Eardley, C.D. 1983.
A taxonomic revision of the genus
Xylocopa Latreille (Hymenoptera:
Anthophoridae) in southern Africa.
Entomology Memoir,
Department of Agriculture,
Republic of South Africa
58: 67pp.
Eardley, C & Urban, R. 2010. Catalogue
of Afrotropical bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Apiformes).
Zootaxa 2455: 1-548.
Eardley C.,Kuhlmann M., Pauly A. 2010.
The Bee Genera and Subgenera of sub-Saharan Africa. Abc Taxa vol 7: i-vi,
138 pp.
Michener, C.D. 2000. The Bees of the World. Johns Hopkins
University Press. 953 pp. |
Credits
|
Photograph of living Xylocopa © Simon van Noort (Iziko Museums of South Africa).
Photograph of banner Xylocopa ©
Laurence Packer's website:
Bee Tribes of the World
Photograph of living Braunsapis © Vida
van der walt (Pretoria).
Photographs of Ceratina © Dave West (Randburg).
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