Carpenter Bee vs Southeastern Blueberry Bee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Carpenter Bee Southeastern Blueberry Bee
Scientific Name Xylocopa violacea Habropoda laboriosa
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Apidae
Size 20-28 mm 12-15 mm
Habitat Woodlands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Wood Feeders Pollen Feeders
Regions Europe, Asia Southeastern United States from Virginia to Florida and west to Mississippi
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Carpenter Bee

A large, robust bee with an entirely black body showing violet-blue iridescent wings. It excavates nest tunnels in dead wood and is an important pollinator of open-faced flowers.

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Did You Know?

Despite their intimidating size and loud buzz, male carpenter bees are completely harmless as they lack a stinger and merely bluff when defending their territory.

Southeastern Blueberry Bee

A fuzzy native bee that is the most efficient pollinator of blueberry flowers in North America. It uses buzz pollination to shake pollen loose from blueberry blossoms.

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Did You Know?

A single female can pollinate enough blueberry flowers to produce over a gallon of blueberries in her lifetime.