Project Noah

Project Noah is a tool to explore and document wildlife and a platform to harness the power of citizen scientists everywhere.

Join Project Noah Today

Eastern Carpenter Bee (on Obedient Plant)

Xylocopa virginica

Description:

This is a very large bee that I get every summer (by the dozens) on the Obedient Plant (which my grandmother calls Disobedient Plant since it spreads so wonderfully). These bees are much larger than any other I find. They are very dark black and roughly an inch or so in length. They are fuzzy on their upper body.

Habitat:

They frequent my flower garden every summer and are only attracted to the Obedient Plant. I do not notice them on any other plants in my garden. The location is near woods, a creek and a very large river.

Notes:

They frequent the yard in late July and August when the Obedient plant blooms.

1 species ID suggestions

Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica Eastern Carpenter Bee

2 Comments

Apple
Apple a year ago

Actually this makes sense, we do have a wood-boring bee that lives under our porch each year. It's probably one of these. Maybe that "Disobedient plant" is disobedient afterall. First time I saw that bee boring away on my porch I was very surprised as I had never seen that before and no one believed me.

Apple
Apple a year ago

Thank you!

Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

Lat: 42.96, Long: -85.67

Spotted on Sep 1, 2007
Submitted on Dec 22, 2011

Related spottings

Carpenter bee Abeja de la madera Carpenter Bee Carpenter bee

Nearby spottings

Ichneumon wasp Tree Hopper Stiletto Fly Transverse Flower Fly