Carpenter-bees
Guides
Xylocopinae
Carpenter Bees
Xylocopinae is a subfamily of Apidae comprising four tribes: Xylocopini (large carpenter bees), Ceratinini (small carpenter bees), Allodapini (allodapine bees), and Manueliini (genus Manuelia). It represents the most basal lineage within Apidae and exhibits remarkable diversity in social organization, ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial and obligate eusocial with morphological castes. Most species nest in dead wood, hollow stems, or pith, though some lineages nest in soil. The subfamily has a worldwide distribution except Antarctica, with highest diversity in tropical and subtropical regions.