About the Green-Winged Bamboo-Carpenter
The Oriental carpenter bee, Xylocopa nasalis, or Xylocopa (Biluna) nasalis, is a species of carpenter bee. It is widely distributed in Southeast Asian countries. It is a major pollinator within its ecosystem, and is often mistaken for a bumblebee. The species leads a solitary lifestyle with a highly female-biased colony in the nest.
Xylocopa nasalis is a member of the genus Xylocopa, first described in 1802 by French entomologist Pierre André Latreille. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek and translates to ¨wood-cutter.¨ Xylocopa is comprised specifically of carpenter bees, who build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers. The genus is also related to the genus of Ceratina, which are referred to as ¨small carpenter bees."
Easily mistaken for bumble bees, carpenter bees of X. nasalis are relatively large, with a sturdy, black, lustrous body. Their thorax can exceed 5 mm in length, and some have yellow markings on their head. The front wing marginal cell is thin and stretched, while the apex, the anterior corner of the wing, leans away from the costa, which is the leading edge of the... Wikipedia →