Xylocopinae

Definition

A subfamily of bees in the family Apidae comprising four extant tribes: the large carpenter bees (Xylocopini), small carpenter bees (Ceratinini), allodapine bees (Allodapini), and the relictual genus Manuelia (Manueliini). Members share traits of wood-nesting behavior and reduced pollen-carrying structures compared to corbiculate bees.

Etymology

From the type genus Xylocopa (Greek xylon "wood" + kopos "cutter") + -inae (subfamily suffix)

Example

The subfamily Xylocopinae includes both the conspicuous, large-bodied Xylocopa species that bore into dead wood and the socially complex allodapines of the tribe Allodapini, which exhibit progressive provisioning and overlapping generations in pithy stems.

Related Terms

• Apidae
• Xylocopa
• Ceratinini
• Allodapini
• Manueliini
• corbicula
• Progressive provisioning
• carpenter bee

Usage Notes

Formerly treated as the family Xylocopidae in some classifications; now firmly nested within Apidae. The four tribes represent a grade from solitary to primitively eusocial organization, making the subfamily important for studies of social evolution in bees. Not to be confused with the genus Xylocopa alone, which is only one component tribe.