Editing Carpenter bee (section)

== Characteristics ==

Many species in this enormous genus are difficult to tell apart; most species are all black, or primarily black with some yellow or white pubescence. Some differ only in subtle morphological features, such as details of the male genitalia. Males of some species differ confusingly from the females, being covered in greenish-yellow fur. The confusion of species arises particularly in the [[common names]]; in India, for example, the common name for any all-black species of ''Xylocopa'' is ''bhanvra'' (or ''bhomora'' - ভোমোৰা - in [[Assamese language|Assamese]]), and reports and sightings of ''bhanvra'' or ''bhomora'' are commonly misattributed to a European species, ''[[Xylocopa violacea]]''; however, this species is found only in the northern regions of [[Jammu and Kashmir (state)|Jammu and Kashmir]] and [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], and most reports of ''bhanvra'', especially elsewhere in India, refer to any of roughly 15 other common black ''Xylocopa'' species in the region, such as ''[[Xylocopa nasalis|X. nasalis]]'', ''[[Xylocopa tenuiscapa|X. tenuiscapa]]'', or ''[[Xylocopa tranquebarorum|X. tranquebarorum]]''.<ref>Gupta, R.K., Yanega, D. 2003. A taxonomic overview of the carpenter bees of the Indian region [Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Apidae, Xylocopinae, Xylocopini, ''Xylocopa'' Latreille]. pp. 79–100 in Gupta, R.K. (Ed.) Advancements in Insect Biodiversity. Agrobios, Jodhpur, India.</ref>

Non-professionals commonly confuse carpenter bees with [[bumblebees]];<ref name="DiscoverLife">{{cite web|url=http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Xylocopa|title=Xylocopa Latreille Large Carpenter Bees|website=Discover Life|access-date=19 November 2014}} Sourced from Mitchell, T.B. (1962). ''Bees of the Eastern United States, Volume II''. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station. Tech. Bul. No.152, 557 p.</ref> the simplest rule of thumb for telling them apart is that most carpenter bees have a shiny abdomen, whereas bumblebee abdomens are completely covered with dense hair. Males of some species of carpenter bees have a white or yellow face, unlike bumblebees, while females lack the bare [[Pollen basket|corbicula]] of bumblebees; the hind leg is entirely hairy.

The wing venation is characteristic; the marginal cell in the front wing is narrow and elongated, and its apex bends away from the [[costa (entomology)|costa]]. The front wing has small stigma. When closed, the bee's short mandibles conceal the [[labrum (arthropod mouthpart)|labrum]]. The [[Clypeus (arthropod anatomy)|clypeus]] is flat.<ref name="DiscoverLife"/> Males of many species have much larger eyes than the females, which relates to their mating behavior.

In the United States, two eastern species, ''[[Xylocopa virginica]]'' and ''[[Xylocopa micans|X. micans]]'', occur. Three more species are primarily western in distribution, ''[[Xylocopa sonorina|X. sonorina]]'', ''[[Xylocopa tabaniformis|X. tabaniformis orpifex]]'', and ''[[Xylocopa californica|X. californica]]''. ''X. virginica'' is by far the more widely distributed species.<ref name="entmuseum.ucr.edu">{{cite web | url=http://entmuseum.ucr.edu/bug_spotlight/posted%20Images-pages/34.htm | author=Yanega, D. | publisher=U.C. Riverside Entomology Research Museum | title=Carpenter Bees, Order Hymenoptera Family Apidae, Genus Xylocopa | access-date=2012-02-19 }}</ref>