21 August 2014
The Short Answer (TSA)
The Peacock Carpenter Bee (formally, Xylocopa bombylans or X. bombylans for short) gets its name because of its colorful metallic-looking “finish.” I can only describe this bee as having a body that reflects light like an abalone shell. It’s iridescent – the colors seem to change when viewed from different angles. The male’s white facial markings distinguish the male from the female.
The Peacock is a large and rather rotund bee with a very loud and low buzz. These bees are lone foragers. That is, like the bumblebee, they gather honey and pollinate, alone. These bees favor various flowers in Queensland, Australia.
The Peacock is a “carpenter” bee, which means they build their nests by burrowing tunnels into wood. The hollow nesting is partitioned into cells into which this bee lays eggs and, then, fills with food to be consumed by the young larvae after the eggs have hatched.