Blue Carpenter Bee

Xylocopa caerulea

I have mentioned this most beautiful of bees before, but in four months have never managed to get a shot off, other that twenty feet away, so this is a big day for me. Still six feet away, so major cropping required to bring you something. This is not the end of the road with this insect, I will be working towards getting in closer for sure.

The blue is not exactly a rarity, but I don't get to see it very often, also there are not that many images of it on Google or Flickr. From six feet, it was pointless going for a static shot, as I could never get the detail necessary, so I geared up for an in flight shot from the off, far more impressive and forgiving.

This is the fourth species of carpenter bee that I have blipped: Eastern Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa virginica, a yellow thorax and black abdomen, blipped 23rd October 2011, Bamboo carpenter bee Xylocopa iridipennis, an all black carpenter, blipped 25th August 2012 and the yellow carpenter bee Xylocopa caffra, which I am sure you all remember, blipped 6th August 2012.

These impressive, large bees are mostly solitary, building their nest in wood, consequently are often considered a nuisance. It is said that you can hear the bee cutting into the wood from several feet away. They are fairly safe to be around. The males do not possess a stinger and the females are very shy and non-aggressive.

Update - just to add that the flower is a lily, growing in a small man made pond.

Dave