Xylocopa

Xylocopa are very large, stout, and powerful carpenter bees. They are the largest bees in Europe, with only a few bumblebee queens reaching similar sizes. Typically, their bodies are completely dark colored, with either black, brown, or beige body hair. They have long wings that, depending on the species, can either be hyaline or dark with a bluish-violet iridescence. Females have large, strong mandibles that they use to dig their nest in dead wood or occasionally in plant stems or timber structures. The scopae of the females are located on the tibia and metatarsus of each hind leg. Males have a similar overall look, but with smaller mandibles and often larger eyes. Additionally, their thorax hair can have a completely different color and the last antennal segments may have a reddish hue depending on the species. Males also have scent glands in different parts of the body that play a role in courtship. Xylocopa nests consists of tunnel-like structures with cell partitions made of chewed wood fragments. They are active from spring to autumn and often have overlapping generations that sometimes share a nest and may even display social interactions.