Apidae

Tribe Xylocopini (3 taxa)

Genus Xylocopa Latreille, three taxa

These are large, wood-boring bees, common in urban areas and sometimes considered pests.

Key to females

  1. Metallic purplish blue; dorsum of thorax black pubescent....Xylocopa micans.xylmicfemside.JPG (68693 bytes)
  2. Black, with faint metallic tints; dorsum of thorax yellow pubescent...2

    xylvirkrofemside copy.JPG (67875 bytes)

  3. Abdominal terga 5 and 6 with some rather conspicuous, white pubescence at each extreme side…Xylocopa virginica krombeini.                            xylvirkrofemtergum1 copy.JPG (55703 bytes)

Terga 5 and 6 entirely black pubescent. .Xylocopa virginica virginica 

 xylvirvirfemabdtop.JPG (111872 bytes)

Key to males

  1. Bright metallic green; tibiae and metatarsi with patches of pale pubescence. .Xylocopa micans.xylmicmaleabdtop.JPG (97544 bytes) xylmicmalereartarsi.JPG (85500 bytes)
  2. Dark purplish black; legs entirely dark black pubescent...2

      xylvirvirmaleside.JPG (83236 bytes) xylvirvirmaleabdtop.JPG (95349 bytes)

  3. Pubescence of scutum entirely pale yellow, a restricted central area bare. Xylocopa virginica virginica  xylvirvirmalescutum.JPG (106576 bytes)

Central bare area of scutum more extensive, with a marginal fringe of conspicuous, black pubescence....................Xylocopa virginica krombeini. xylvirkromalescutum1.JPG (94486 bytes)

 

Subgenus Schonherria

Apidae: Xylocopa micans Lepeletier

County Records: Leon, Miami-Dade; It is likely nearly throughout Florida. 

xylmic.jpg (70741 bytes)

Locations:

Dates: throughout the year; Feb. 25-Nov. 25 (Graenicher data). 1-17-31 (E. Miller, Pinecrest) to 10-16-79 (J. Lewis, Levee in Everglades) (UM collections).

Plants: polylectic. Bidens alba, Crotalaria sp., Cirsium sp., Ludwigia sp., Pluchea odorata (UM); Serenoa serrulata, Sabal palmetto, Sarcostemma clausa, Solanum bahamense, Solanum wendlandi, Chamaecrista brachiata, Crotalaria pumila, Dalbergia ecastophyllum, Bidens alba (Graenicher 1930).

Notes: A neotropical subgenus, intrusive in warm temperate areas (primarily southeastern, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic coastal plain.

 

Female: xylmicfemface.JPG (79538 bytes) xylmicfemscutum.JPG (97415 bytes) xylmicfemscutum2.JPG (121577 bytes) xylmicfemside.JPG (68693 bytes) xylmicfemwing.JPG (75745 bytes) xylmicfemabdtop2.JPG (75190 bytes) xylmicfemabdtop.JPG (102832 bytes) 

Male: xylmicmaleface1.JPG (78934 bytes) xylmicmalefaceside.JPG (75704 bytes) xylmicmaleside.JPG (80499 bytes) xylmicmaleabdtop.JPG (97544 bytes) xylmicmalemiddletarsi.JPG (87268 bytes) xylmicmalereartarsi.JPG (85500 bytes) xylmicmalesternum.JPG (104534 bytes) xylmicmalegenital1.JPG (65880 bytes) xylmicmalegenital2.JPG (73220 bytes) xylmicmalegenital3.JPG (53822 bytes) xylmicmalegenitalside.JPG (43963 bytes)

 

Subgenus Xylocopoides

Apidae: Xylocopa virginica virginica Linnaeus

County Records: Alachua, Baker, Clay, Duval, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Hamilton, Highlands, Hillsborough, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Marion, Nassau, Okaloosa, St. Johns.

xylvirvir.jpg (73357 bytes)

Locations:

Dates: throughout the year

Plants: polylectic

Notes: This more Northern subspecies extends to central peninsular Florida. It is replaced by the endemic Florida subspecies X. virginica krombeini in extreme southern Florida.

 

Female: xylvirvirfemface.JPG (78262 bytes) xylvirvirfemfaceclose.JPG (125434 bytes) xylvirvirfemside.JPG (82807 bytes) xylvirvirfemtop.JPG (79330 bytes)  xylvirvirfemscutum.JPG (113315 bytes) xylvirvirfemabdtop.JPG (111872 bytes)    xylvirvirfemterga5&6hairs.JPG (96923 bytes) 

Male: xylvirvirmaleface.JPG (87345 bytes) xylvirvirmaleside.JPG (83236 bytes) xylvirvirmalevertex.JPG (91327 bytes) xylvirvirmalescutum.JPG (106576 bytes) xylvirvirmaleabdtop.JPG (95349 bytes)

 

Apidae: Xylocopa virginica krombeini Hurd

County Records: Alachua, Citrus, Glades, Highlands, Hillsburough, Lake, Lee, Levy, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Okeechobee, Orange, Palm Beach, Seminole.

xylvirkro.jpg (73350 bytes)

Locations: Eustis, Gulf Hammock, Winter Park

Dates: throughout the year

Plants: polylectic, Jacquemontia sp.

Notes: This is an endemic subspecies restricted to Florida. 

 

Female : xylvirkrofemface1 copy.JPG (66681 bytes) xylvirkrofemscutumtop copy.JPG (80072 bytes) xylvirkrofemscutumside copy.JPG (41760 bytes) xylvirkrofemscutumside2 copy.JPG (51451 bytes) xylvirkrofemscoparear copy.JPG (65908 bytes) xylvirkrofemside copy.JPG (67875 bytes) xylvirkrofemtergum1 copy.JPG (55703 bytes) xylvirkrofemtergum2 copy.JPG (77878 bytes)

Male: xylvirkromaleface copy.JPG (75936 bytes) xylvirkromalefaceclose copy.JPG (86609 bytes) xylvirkromalescutum1.JPG (94486 bytes) xylvirkromalescutum2 copy.JPG (76021 bytes) xylvirkromalescutum3 copy.JPG (85464 bytes) xylvirkromaleside copy.JPG (67765 bytes) xylvirkromaletergum1 copy.JPG (100679 bytes) xylvirkromaletergum2 copy.JPG (80598 bytes)