Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Apidae Scientific name Xylocopa californica | Phylum Arthropoda Order Hymenoptera Genus Xylocopa Rank Species | |
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Similar Xylocopa varipuncta, Eastern carpenter bee, Xylocopa micans, Xylocopinae, Xylocopa brasilianorum | ||
The California carpenter bee, Xylocopa californica, is a species of carpenter bee in the order Hymenoptera. It is native to western North America.
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Distribution
Xylocopa californica is found in California, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Arizona, and Northwestern Mexico. It is found, along with Xylocopa varipuncta, in the Central Valley and in Southern California, including the Mojave Desert. They are agriculturally beneficial insects and pollinators of diverse California chaparral and woodlands and desert native plant species.
Description
The California carpenter bee is all black, as other Xylocopa species−the large carpenter bees are, and has some bluish/greenish reflections. The male has some lighter markings on the pronotum (dorsal prothorax) and the abdominal segments.
Subspecies
The species has three named subspecies: