It is not an ordinary phenomenon when Nature gives us blue insects. And what do you know about the blue carpenter bee? So, let’s discover this beautiful and extraordinary insect together.
There are many different bumblebees, but black and yellow are the only types we know. It turns out that bees may be found in various colors, including green, purple, orange, black and white.
The Xylocopa caerulea, known as the blue carpenter bee, is possibly the most eye-catching. It is a pretty large species, reaching an average of 23 millimeters in length(0.91 in). They are coated with light blue hairs on the thorax, giving them a stunning blue appearance. The blue hairs on the sides of the abdomen and the first abdominal segments are also the same, but they’re a lot finer and thinner than the hairs on the belly.
Where do blue carpenter bees live?
These bees are found in Southeast Asia, India, and Southern China, and they are noted for being less aggressive than others. In contrast to honey bees, which create sophisticated hives containing many worker bees, blue carpenter bees spend comparatively lonely lives, making homes in trees. Queen bees may sometimes use a shared entrance hole to their nest, choosing a semi-solitary lifestyle over being alone.
Almost all blue carpenter bees are females. They are the females who sport that brilliant blue pubescence (yep, that’s what the fuzz is called), and the females alone wield a stinger. The males are stinger-less and have a more subdued, brown, or greenish fuzz.
While European honey bees (the most common species in Australia) grow to just 17 mm long, blue carpenter bees can reach a whopping 28 mm, making them appear eerily hefty. There is no footage of the blue carpenter bee flying, but this violet bee (Xylocopa violacea) grows to around the same size:
Do blue carpenter bees make honey?
Carpenter bees produce honey in the same way as smaller bees do. Still, it’s considerably thicker and heavier than the honey we’re familiar with, with a consistency similar to peanut butter.
There are also a few green carpenter bees (Xylocopa aeratus), which are only found in isolated regions along Australia’s east coast and on Kangaroo Island — the final foothold in southern Australia.
