Tropical Carpenter Bee vs Alpine Bumblebee

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Tropical Carpenter Bee Alpine Bumblebee
Scientific Name Xylocopa latipes Bombus alpinus
Order Hymenoptera Hymenoptera
Family Apidae Apidae
Size 25-35 mm 14-20 mm
Habitat Underground Mountains
Diet Wood Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia Scandinavia, Finnish Lapland, Kola Peninsula, Ural Mountains
Conservation Not Evaluated Vulnerable

Tropical Carpenter Bee

One of the largest bee species in Asia with jet-black coloring and broad wings. They produce a loud buzzing flight sound and bore into bamboo and dead timber.

💡

Did You Know?

Their enormous size and loud buzz often cause alarm, but they are generally docile and rarely sting.

Alpine Bumblebee

A large bumblebee with distinctive orange-red tail and dark body covered in dense fur. It is found at high elevations in Scandinavian mountains. Colonies are small due to the short growing season.

💡

Did You Know?

This bumblebee has been observed foraging at altitudes exceeding 2000 meters in Scandinavia where few other pollinators venture.