Pubescent Carpenter Bee

Pubescent Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa pubescens

Daily sighting probability ~50% · Likely
at Tunis

In 3 days ~90% in a week >90%

13 Verified sightings at Tunis
July Best month

About the Pubescent Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa pubescens is a species of large carpenter bee. Females form nests by excavation with their mandibles, often in dead or soft wood. X. pubescens is commonly found in areas extending from India to Northeast and West Africa. It must reside in these warm climates because it requires a minimum ambient temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) in order to forage.

A common area of study in X. pubescens is its dominance hierarchy and guarding behavior. Colonies start and end with female takeover, either by daughters of the dominant female or by foreign intruders. There is only one reproductively active female in a colony at a time who suppresses the reproduction of other females in the nest. Males hold individual territories which females enter to mate. When an intruder enters another male's territory, the male responds aggressively.

X. pubescens is polylectic, so it forages on many species of plants. It forages on some plants for nectar when preparing bee bread during ontogenesis and forages on others for pollen to feed offspring. Pheromones from Dufour's gland are vital to mark flowers previously visited and also to mark nests so that the foraging bees know where to return. X. pubescens is known to be an effective pollinator, often more effective than honeybees, but it is not commonly used in today's agricultural settings. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Tunis 🇹🇳 Tunisia
~50%
2 Athens 🇬🇷 Greece
~40%
3 Luxor 🇪🇬 Egypt
~40%
4 Casablanca 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
5 Marrakesh 🇲🇦 Morocco
~40%
6 Tel Aviv 🇮🇱 Israel
~30%
7 Rabat 🇲🇦 Morocco
~20%
8 Cairo 🇪🇬 Egypt
~20%
9 Antalya 🇹🇷 Turkey
~20%
10 Jerusalem 🇮🇱 Israel
~20%

Closest Relatives at Tunis

No species of the same family or order lives in Tunis, so these are its closest relatives here: other insects.

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Pubescent Carpenter Bee in Tunis?

Likely

About 50% of wildlife watchers report a Pubescent Carpenter Bee sighting in Tunis on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. Over three days the chance rises to about 90%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Pubescent Carpenter Bee in Tunis?

July and August

In those months about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Pubescent Carpenter Bee in Tunis on a given day, against about 10% in January, March, June and September, the lowest months. Those are among Tunis's driest months, with about 15 mm of rain a month against 65 mm in December.

Is Tunis the best place to see a Pubescent Carpenter Bee?

Yes

Of the 12 cities where we can rate Pubescent Carpenter Bee sightings, Tunis has the highest daily chance: about 50%. Next come Athens (Greece, about 40%) and Luxor (Egypt, about 40%).

Where does the Pubescent Carpenter Bee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Pubescent Carpenter Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Tunis (13 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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