Carpenter Bee (Galapagos)

  • Galapagos Wildlife: Galapagos carpenter bee © GCT

    A male Galapagos carpenter bee © GCT

  • Galapagos Wildlife: A female Galapagos carpenter bee © GCT

    A female Galapagos carpenter bee © GCT

Species Data

Common Name Galapagos Carpenter Bee
Scientific Name Xylocopa darwini
Spanish Name Aveja Carpintera de Darwin
Conservation Status

Galapagos Graphics: IUCN Red List Unknown © Dan Wright

Unknown

 

Endemic/Native/Introduced

Endemic

Size Between 1.8cm and 2.5cm long depending on gender
Average Lifespan Unknown
Predators Lava lizards
Food Herbivore, feeds on plant nectar
Animal Class Insecta

Species Overview

The Galapagos Carpenter bee is the only bee found in Galapagos and is found nowhere else in the world. It is a solitary species, the males being smaller and a yellow-brown colour and the females being larger and black in colour. The females are more common than the males and both genders are found on Isabela and Floreana. They nest in dead wood boring a 1 cm wide tunnel where they lay a single egg and feed the larva on nectar before it pupates.

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