Xylocopa violacea
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Xylocopa violacea, the violet carpenter bee, is the common European species of carpenter bee, and one of the largest bees in Europe. It is also native to Asia. Like most members of the genus Xylocopa, it makes its nests in dead wood. It is not particularly aggressive, and will attack only if forced to.
The range of Xylocopa violacea extends from Europe eastward across Asia as far as central China, restricted to latitudes above 30 degrees. In 2006, Xylocopa violacea was reported from Cardigan, Wales. In 2007, it was found breeding for the first time in England, in Leicestershire. This follows a northwards expansion of its range in France, Germany, and the Channel Islands. In 2010 it was recorded in Northamptonshire and Worcestershire.
In India, any all-black species of Xylocopa are referred to by the common name "bhanvra" (or "bhomora" – ভোমোৰা – in Assamese), and reports and sightings of bhanvra are commonly misattributed to this species. However, this species is found only in the northern regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. Most reported sightings refer to any of several other common black Xylocopa, such as X. nasalis, X. tenuiscapa, or X. tranquebarorum.... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cévennes National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 2 | Sierra Nevada National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 3 | Mercantour National Park | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Sierra de Guadarrama National Park | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 5 | Bavarian Forest National Park | 🇩🇪 Germany | |
| 6 | Pyrénées National Park | 🇫🇷 France |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Carpenter Bee sighting in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 82nd most-seen of the 479 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May and September
In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Violet Carpenter Bee in Sierra Nevada National Park on a given day, against under 5% in July and November–March, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Violet Carpenter Bee sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 6 parks where we can rate Violet Carpenter Bee sightings, Sierra Nevada National Park ranks 2nd at about 20%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Cévennes National Park (France, about 20%).
Same family: Apidae
The closest relatives of the Violet Carpenter Bee that you can see in Sierra Nevada National Park (family Apidae, Honey Bees, Bumble Bees, and Allies) are Buff-Tailed Bumble Bee (about 20%), Common Carder Bumble Bee (about 10%) and Vestal Cuckoo Bumble Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Violet Carpenter Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in Sierra Nevada National Park (18 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), 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.
