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Xylocopa sonorina

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Carpenter Bees Xylocopa sonorina

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Xylocopa sonorina (valley carpenter bee)

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Sonorina

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Golden King release (Xylocopa varipuncta)

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California Carpenter Bee - Xylocopa californica

Xylocopa sonorina, commonly known as the Sonoran carpenter bee, is a carpenter bee found in the eastern Pacific islands. Males are golden brown and lack stingers; females are black and larger than the males and considered shy. In tropical climates, females will lay eggs all year, with interruptions due to cold weather. After collecting pollen and preparing tunneled chambers out of wood, a single female will deposit eggs on pollen balls within the chamber and seal it. The eggs will hatch two to three days later, with larvae maturing in two weeks, and prepupal and pupal stages lasting 3–4 weeks. New adults will begin buzzing a week later and flying in two to three more weeks.