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Here is a lovely carpenter bee from the southeastern part of the U.S., a bit smaller than X. viginica and as far as I know nests in twigs rather and does no damage to timbers (not that X. virginica does much in the way of real structural damage).

Here is a lovely carpenter bee from the southeastern part of the U.S., a bit smaller than X. viginica and as far as I know nests in twigs rather and does no damage to timbers (not that X. virginica does much in the way of real structural damage).

The Good Carpenter Bee. This is the other species of carpenter bee that occurs in the Eastern U.S. Xylocopa micans. For some reason it thumbs its labrum at dry wood in buildings, decks, and fences (unlike its cousin X. virginica).

The other eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans). Here is the male...more blue than black. This species does not inhabit the porches, fences, decks, and cedar siding of our houses like its cousin X. virginica.

The other eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans). Here is the male...more blue than black. This species does not inhabit the porches, fences, decks, and cedar siding of our houses like its cousin X. virginica.

The Good Carpenter Bee. This is the other species of carpenter bee that occurs in the Eastern U.S. Xylocopa micans. For some reason it thumbs its labrum at dry wood in buildings, decks, and fences (unlike its cousin X. virginica).

The Good Carpenter Bee. This is the other species of carpenter bee that occurs in the Eastern U.S. Xylocopa micans. For some reason it thumbs its labrum at dry wood in buildings, decks, and fences (unlike its cousin X. virginica).

Xylocopa mordax, Female, face, Dominican Republic, Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa mordax, female, Dominican Republic, March 2012

Ahhhhhh, the beauty of the wings of Carpenter Bees, this lovely specimen from Thailand, found lounging around the Packer Lab, Trivia = Carpenter Bees lay the world's largest insect eggs.

Ahhhhhh, the beauty of the wings of Carpenter Bees, this lovely specimen from Thailand, found lounging around the Packer Lab, Trivia = Carpenter Bees lay the world's largest insect eggs.

Ahhhhhh, the beauty of the wings of Carpenter Bees, this lovely specimen from Thailand, found lounging around the Packer Lab, Trivia = Carpenter Bees lay the world's largest insect eggs.

Ahhhhhh, the beauty of the wings of Carpenter Bees, this lovely specimen from Thailand, found lounging around the Packer Lab, Trivia = Carpenter Bees lay the world's largest insect eggs.

Here is a carpenter bee species from Australia that has a very different look and feel from our North American species. Very likely in a different subfamily but taxonomically and morphologically there must be great similarities to keep them within the same genus.

The Virginia Carpenter bee. The bane of those who build with Cedar Siding, have redwood picnic tables, or who have barns made with softwoods. Other than the recently invaded Lithurgus chrysurus (we certainly will hear more about this wood eater in coming years), this is our only bee int he East that regularly makes holes in wooden structures.

The Virginia Carpenter bee. The bane of those who build with Cedar Siding, have redwood picnic tables, or who have barns made with softwoods. Other than the recently invaded Lithurgus chrysurus (we certainly will hear more about this wood eater in coming years), this is our only bee int he East that regularly makes holes in wooden structures.

The Virginia Carpenter bee. The bane of those who build with Cedar Siding, have redwood picnic tables, or who have barns made with softwoods. Other than the recently invaded Lithurgus chrysurus (we certainly will hear more about this wood eater in coming years), this is our only bee int he East that regularly makes holes in wooden structures.

Giant Flying Eye - The male of Xylocopa virginica or Virginia Carpenter Bee. Any bee with this much "eye" is clearly doing something different visually. In this case the males are guarding nesting territories and the associated females and their young and defending them from other males.

Xylocopa sonorina, Female, March 2012, Hawaii, Oahu

Xylocopa sonorina, Hawaii, OahuMarch 2012

Vespid wasp from Kruger National Park in South Africa. This is one that we see periodically taking nips of nectar from some of the trees we study. No time to look up the species group, but likely it a social species of some kind. Large too, about the size of a bumblebee in length..,Photo by Erick Hernandez.