Wood-nesting
Guides
Anthidium maculosum
Spotted Woolcarder
Anthidium maculosum is a solitary carder bee in the family Megachilidae, notable for its unusual sexual dimorphism where males are significantly larger than females—a reversal of the typical bee pattern. Males establish and defend territories around flowering patches of Monarda mint, while females practice polyandry, mating multiple times to gain access to guarded resources. The species ranges from the Pacific Northwest through Mexico to Honduras.
Anthophora terminalis
Orange-tipped Wood-digger
Anthophora terminalis is a solitary anthophorine bee in the family Apidae, known for its distinctive nesting behavior in wood and other substrates. The species constructs cells using chewed sawdust or wood fibers, lining them with salivary secretions. It has been documented across North America and parts of Europe and Northern Asia, with specific studies in Wisconsin revealing details of its univoltine life cycle and nest architecture. Adults have been observed foraging on several plant species including Stachys palustris, Nepeta cataria, and Epilobium angustifolium.
Augochlora azteca
Aztec Sweat Bee, Aztec augochlora
Augochlora azteca, commonly known as the Aztec Sweat Bee, is a solitary bee species in the family Halictidae. It belongs to the tribe Augochlorini, a group of metallic green sweat bees that are frequently encountered on flowers. The species is distributed across Middle America and North America, where it contributes to pollination services in both natural and managed landscapes. Like other members of its genus, it exhibits solitary nesting behavior.
Augochlora pura
Pure Green Sweat Bee, Pure Gold-Green Sweat Bee
A solitary sweat bee in the family Halictidae, native to eastern North America. Adults are typically 8 mm long with bright metallic green coloration, though Florida populations exhibit deep blue metallic coloration. The species nests exclusively in rotting wood, utilizing pre-existing insect burrows to construct brood cells lined with a waxy secretion from the Dufour's gland. Unlike many halictids, A. pura has secondarily lost social behavior; females are solitary nesters with no worker caste, though multiple females may aggregate during overwintering or when nesting near deceased mothers.
Augochlora pura mosieri
Augochlora pura mosieri is a subspecies of the solitary sweat bee Augochlora pura, described by Cockerell in 1922. As a member of the Halictidae family, it exhibits the metallic green coloration typical of the Augochlorini tribe. Like other Augochlora pura populations, it is solitary, nesting in rotting wood galleries rather than soil. The subspecies designation indicates geographic variation within the broader species range in eastern North America.
Camponotus bakeri
Baker's Carpenter Ant
Camponotus bakeri is a species of carpenter ant endemic to the Channel Islands of California, with additional populations in mainland California and Arizona. It nests in dead wood, including decaying stumps, fallen branches, and hollow trees. Like other members of the genus Camponotus, it excavates galleries rather than consuming wood for nutrition. The species is named in honor of an individual with the surname Baker, following standard entomological naming conventions of the early 1900s.
Camponotus caryae (Fitch, 1855)
Walnut Carpenter Ant
Camponotus caryae is a species of carpenter ant in the genus Camponotus, commonly known as the Walnut Carpenter Ant. It is native to eastern North America, with records from the eastern United States and eastern Canada, and has also been reported from Mexico (Nuevo León and Chihuahua). There are unconfirmed reports of its presence in parts of the western United States, Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria. Like other carpenter ants, it nests in wood and is associated with hickory and walnut trees.
Camponotus castaneus
Chestnut Carpenter Ant, Red Hazelnut Carpenter Ant, Reddish Carpenter Ant
Camponotus castaneus is a medium-sized carpenter ant native to eastern North America. Workers exhibit pronounced size polymorphism, with minor workers measuring 8-10 mm and major workers reaching 10-14 mm; queens are substantially larger at 18-20 mm. The species is distinguished by its orangish-red coloration, smooth thorax and abdomen, and single petiolar node. Colonies nest in rotting wood and undergo an early diapause beginning in fall, often ceasing foraging before other temperate ant species.
Camponotus chromaiodes
ferruginous carpenter ant, red carpenter ant
Camponotus chromaiodes, commonly known as the ferruginous or red carpenter ant, is a species of carpenter ant native to the eastern United States with records extending to Nebraska, Kansas, and possibly California. Workers of this species have been observed removing honeydew droplets from spotted lanternfly nymphs, suggesting potential for developing mutualistic relationships with honeydew-producing insects. Like other carpenter ants, it excavates galleries in wood for colony housing rather than consuming wood for nutrition.
Camponotus clarithorax
Carpenter ant
Camponotus clarithorax is a species of carpenter ant in the subgenus Camponotus, native to western North America. It was described by William Morton Creighton in 1950. The species occurs in California, Oregon, and the Baja California Peninsula, with possible records from the eastern United States. Like other carpenter ants, it nests in wood and exhibits the polymorphic worker caste system typical of the genus.
Camponotus decipiens
Deceptive Carpenter Ant
Camponotus decipiens is a species of carpenter ant native to eastern North America and parts of Mexico. Workers range from 3 to 7.5 mm in length and are characterized by a black gaster. Colonies are typically small, often containing fewer than 100 workers but occasionally reaching several hundred. The specific epithet 'decipiens' derives from Latin, meaning 'deceiving, cheating, or trapping'.
Camponotus floridanus
Florida Carpenter Ant
Camponotus floridanus, the Florida carpenter ant, is a large, conspicuous ant species native to the southeastern United States. It is notable for its striking bicolored appearance—reddish-orange head and mesosoma contrasting with a black gaster—and its highly aggressive defensive behavior. The species exhibits pronounced worker polymorphism with distinct minor and major castes, and maintains an obligate mutualism with the endosymbiotic bacterium Blochmannia floridanus. Colonies are fast-growing and can reach thousands of individuals, with unique behaviors including surgical amputation of injured nestmate limbs to prevent infection.
Camponotus hyatti
Camponotus hyatti is a species of carpenter ant in the family Formicidae. It is native to the Pacific coast of western North America, ranging from Oregon to the Baja California Peninsula. The species is distinguished by specific morphological features including five-toothed mandibles and a smooth, shiny clypeus. It nests in woody plants including sagebrush, Yucca, manzanita, and oak.
Camponotus zonatus
Caribbean Banded Carpenter Ant
Camponotus zonatus is a species of carpenter ant in the genus Camponotus, first described by Emery in 1894. Originally described as a subspecies of Camponotus extensus, it is now recognized as a full species. The common name 'Caribbean Banded Carpenter Ant' reflects its geographic distribution in the Caribbean region. Like other members of the genus Camponotus, it nests in wood and exhibits the characteristic traits of carpenter ants, including polymorphic worker castes and colony nesting in wooden substrates.
Ectemnius
Ectemnius is a large genus of solitary digger wasps in the family Crabronidae, comprising approximately 188 species distributed worldwide except for limited representation in Australia. Species are characterized by black bodies with yellow markings and nest construction in dead wood cavities. They provision nests with paralyzed flies for their larvae.
Ectemnius continuus
Common Ectemnius
Ectemnius continuus is a small to medium-sized digger wasp in the family Crabronidae, widespread throughout the Holarctic region. It is black with yellow markings on the scapes, pronotum, tibiae and tergites, and has a clypeus covered with shining silver hairs. The species is notable for having 12 antennal segments in both sexes, unlike most aculeates where males typically have 13 segments. Males possess unique small spines on the first and second tarsomeres of the mid tarsus.
Lasioglossum subviridatum
sweat bee
Lasioglossum subviridatum is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae. Unlike most sweat bees that nest in soil, this species is one of the few known to nest in wood, which shapes its habitat preferences. It belongs to the large genus Lasioglossum, which contains over 1,700 species and is frequently encountered in bee monitoring studies.
Lithurgus
Woodborer Bees
Lithurgus is a genus of solitary bees in the family Megachilidae, commonly known as woodborer bees. Species in this genus excavate nesting tunnels in dead wood rather than using pre-existing cavities. They are distributed across the Mediterranean Basin, Eurasia, North Africa, and parts of Asia, with some species showing recent northward range expansion. Several species have been introduced outside their native ranges, including L. chrysurus and L. huberi in the Americas.
Xylocopa
Large Carpenter Bees, Carpenter Bees
Xylocopa is a large genus of bees comprising approximately 500 species in 31 subgenera, commonly known as carpenter bees for their distinctive nesting behavior in wood and bamboo. The genus exhibits remarkable diversity in size, coloration, and social organization, ranging from solitary to incipiently social species. Recent research has revealed that Xylocopa species harbor gut microbiomes remarkably similar to those of eusocial bees like honey bees and bumble bees, challenging assumptions that advanced sociality is required for such microbial communities. Carpenter bees are important pollinators of wild plants and crops, with some species demonstrating greater pollination efficiency than honey bees for certain large-flowered crops such as passion fruit.
Xylocopa californica diamesa
Southern California Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa californica diamesa is a subspecies of the California carpenter bee (Xylocopa californica), a large solitary bee in the family Apidae. It occurs in southern California and parts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like other carpenter bees, it nests by excavating tunnels in wood, including dead tree limbs and occasionally wooden structures. Females are capable of stinging but are generally non-aggressive; males lack stingers entirely. The species is an important pollinator in native plant communities and contributes to the pollination of some agricultural crops.
Xylocopa sonorina
Valley Carpenter Bee, Hawaiian Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa sonorina is one of the largest bees in California and Hawaii, reaching approximately 25 mm in length. The species exhibits strong sexual dimorphism: females are entirely black, while males are golden-brown with distinctive green eyes. Native to the southwestern United States and adjacent Mexico, it has been introduced to the Hawaiian Islands (since before 1874), French Polynesia, the Samoan Islands, and other Pacific archipelagoes through human-mediated transport of nesting wood. DNA analysis confirmed in 2020 that X. varipuncta is a synonym of X. sonorina. The species is a significant pollinator, including commercial pollination of passion fruit in Hawaii, though its wood-nesting behavior can cause structural damage.
Xylocopa tabaniformis
horsefly-like carpenter bee, mountain carpenter bee, foothill carpenter bee
Xylocopa tabaniformis, commonly known as the horsefly-like carpenter bee or mountain carpenter bee, is a medium-sized carpenter bee native to the Americas. The species ranges from 12–18 mm in length and exhibits strong sexual dimorphism: females are entirely black with light smoky-colored wings, while males display yellow hair on the thorax and yellow markings on the lower face. This bee is one of three carpenter bee species found in California and is the smallest of the trio. Research has revealed that despite being solitary, X. tabaniformis hosts a gut microbiome remarkably similar to social bees like honey bees and bumble bees, challenging assumptions about the drivers of microbiome structure in bees.
Xylocopa tabaniformis androleuca
Pale-male Horse-fly Carpenter
Xylocopa tabaniformis androleuca is a subspecies of the mountain carpenter bee, distinguished by its pale male coloration. As part of the Xylocopa tabaniformis species complex, it shares the incipiently social behavior and distinctive gut microbiome characteristic of this group. Research has shown that carpenter bees in this complex harbor bacterial communities more similar to eusocial bees like honey bees and bumble bees than to solitary bees, challenging assumptions about sociality as the main driver of microbiome structure. The subspecies occurs in western North America, where females nest in wood and males exhibit the pale facial markings that give this taxon its common name.
Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex
Foothill Carpenter Bee, Mountain Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex, commonly known as the foothill or mountain carpenter bee, is the smallest of three carpenter bee species in California. Females are solid black with light smoky-colored wings, while males display bright yellow markings on the lower face and yellow hairs on the top front of the thorax. This subspecies exhibits incipient social behavior—lacking queens, hives, and honey production—yet research has revealed it harbors gut bacterial communities remarkably similar to those of highly social bees like honey bees and bumble bees. It nests by tunneling into dead wood and serves as an important pollinator in native plant communities.
Xylocopa tabaniformis parkinsoniae
Xylocopa tabaniformis parkinsoniae is a subspecies of mountain carpenter bee in the family Apidae. It belongs to a species group known for nesting in wood and exhibiting incipient social behavior. Research on related populations has revealed distinctive gut bacterial communities similar to those of eusocial bees, challenging assumptions about microbiome evolution. This subspecies is part of a complex that includes some of the smallest carpenter bees in California.
Xylocopa virginica
Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica, the Eastern Carpenter Bee, is a large, facultatively social carpenter bee native to eastern North America. It is distinguished by sexual dimorphism: males have a prominent white facial patch while females have entirely black faces. The species nests by excavating tunnels in wood, creating brood galleries that are later reused by other solitary Hymenoptera. Unlike truly eusocial bees, X. virginica forms linear dominance hierarchies where one female monopolizes reproduction and foraging while subordinates queue for replacement opportunities. Climate, particularly the length of the active season, limits its northern range extent.
Xylocopa virginica krombeini
South Florida Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica krombeini is a subspecies of the eastern carpenter bee restricted to southern Florida. As part of the Xylocopini tribe, it shares the robust body form and wood-nesting behavior characteristic of large carpenter bees. The subspecies designation reflects geographic isolation and potential morphological differentiation from nominate X. virginica populations in the eastern United States. Like other Xylocopa, it is a solitary bee with incipient social traits, including prolonged maternal care and cohabitation of daughters with mothers.
Xylocopa virginica virginica
Virginia Carpenter Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa virginica virginica is a large carpenter bee native to eastern North America. It is facultatively social, forming small colonies with linear dominance hierarchies where one female monopolizes both reproduction and foraging. Females excavate tunnels in wood to create brood galleries, provisioning cells with bee bread (pollen and nectar mixture). Males defend nest-side territories and mate in early spring, then die; females may live two years. The subspecies is distinguished by the nominate form's distribution and morphology.