Carpenter bee
A bee in the genus Xylocopa whose females excavate nesting tunnels in wood. Most species are solitary, though some show social behavior.
Xylocopa nesting: The excavation and use of woody tunnels as nests by bees in the genus Xylocopa. Female carpenter bees create brood chambers by boring into wood, usually along the grain.
Apoidea: A superfamily of insects that includes bees and their close relatives, the spheciform wasps. Carpenter bees are members of the bee lineage within Apoidea.
Pollination: The transfer of pollen from an anther to a receptive stigma, enabling fertilization in seed plants. Carpenter bees pollinate some plants while collecting pollen or nectar.
Bumblebee: A large, hairy bee in the genus Bombus that usually nests in cavities and forms annual colonies. Bumblebees are densely hairy and social; carpenter bees generally have a shiny, less-hairy abdomen and wood nests.
Eastern carpenter bee: A large carpenter bee, Xylocopa virginica, native to eastern North America. This familiar species nests in wood and is often seen around buildings and gardens.
Mass provisioning: A nesting strategy in which a parent supplies a brood cell with food before laying an egg and sealing it. A female stocks each carpenter bee brood cell with pollen and nectar for its larva.
Solitary bee: A bee that nests and provisions offspring without a permanent colony of cooperating workers. Most carpenter bee species are solitary, even when females nest near one another.
Tomato pollination: The transfer of pollen among tomato flowers, often aided by vibration from bees. Some carpenter bees can release tomato pollen by vibrating the flowers.
Honey bee: A social bee in the genus Apis that lives in perennial colonies and stores honey. Honey bees occupy wax combs in colonies rather than excavating brood tunnels in wood.
Valley carpenter bee: A large carpenter bee, Xylocopa sonorina, found in parts of western North America and the Pacific. Its nesting and pollination illustrate carpenter bee ecology beyond eastern North America.