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Xylocopa californica arizonensis
I spotted dozens of these Arizona Carpenter Bees at a rest stop along US Hwy 17 in Arizona near Arcosanti and Mount Union. It was difficult to photograph them as they flew so quickly. They seemed to be biting the base of the flowers.
Rest stop along US Hwy 17 in Arizona near Arcosanti and Mount Union.
Spotted on Oct 15, 2011
Submitted on Oct 25, 2011
8 Comments
Thank you Kristal and Sharon!
Very nice photos!
Yep, nectar thievery is common with these large ladies. Beautiful photos!
Thanks Karen! That makes sense--they were very big bees.
I read somewhere that they bite the base of the flowers to steal the nectar from blooms that are otherwise too deep for them to access!
People tend to think I'm crazy when I do that, too. :)
Thank you textless--my sister and niece thought I was crazy as I proceeded to chase them from flower to flower to get the photos! :)
Love these! Nice photos too... they really are hard to catch.