Xylocopa nasalis

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Xylocopa nasalis
Singapore rhododendron with carpenter bee 1.jpg
X. nasalis feeding on Singaporean rhododendron
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Xylocopa
Species:
X. nasalis
Binomial name
Xylocopa nasalis
Westwood, 1838
Synonyms [1]
  • Xylocopa dissimilisLepeletier, 1841
  • Xylocopa lunulataLepeletier, 1841
  • Xylocopa minensisCockerell, 1909

The Oriental carpenter bee, Xylocopa nasalis, or Xylocopa (Biluna) nasalis, is a species of carpenter bee. It is widely distributed in Southeast Asian countries. It is a major pollinator within its ecosystem, and is often mistaken for a bumblebee. [2] The species leads a solitary lifestyle with a highly female-biased colony in the nest. [3]

Contents

Taxonomy and phylogeny

Xylocopa nasalis is a member of the genus Xylocopa , first described in 1802 by French entomologist Pierre André Latreille. The genus name is derived from Ancient Greek and translates to ¨wood-cutter.¨ Xylocopa is comprised specifically of carpenter bees, who build their nests in burrows in dead wood, bamboo, or structural timbers. The genus is also related to the genus of Ceratina, which are referred to as ¨small carpenter bees." [4]

Description and identification

Easily mistaken for bumble bees, carpenter bees of X. nasalis are relatively large, with a sturdy, black, lustrous body. Their thorax can exceed 5 mm in length, and some have yellow markings on their head. [2]

The front wing marginal cell is thin and stretched, while the apex, the anterior corner of the wing, leans away from the costa, which is the leading edge of the wing. Moreover, the front wing also has small stigma cells. Short mandibles cover the labral flap of the bee when the mandibles are closed. [5]

X. nasalis have compound eyes, which can consist of thousands of individual photoreceptor units. The image produced for this species of bees is a systematic collaboration of the numerous inputs received from the photoreceptors. [6] These kinds of eyes can view in large angles and are able to detect rapid movement.

The eggs of X. nasalis are very large relative to the size of females and are known to be some of the largest eggs among all insects. [7]

Male female dimorphism

Males have a white or yellow face, while the females do not have these characteristics. Moreover, males often have much larger eyes than the females. Males do not contain a stinger, while the females are capable of using their stingers, but rarely do unless directly provoked or in immediate danger. [8]

Distribution and habitat

X. nasalis is a common carpenter bee found in Southeast Asia, predominantly in tropic and subtropic regions such as Thailand, Vietnam, West Malaysia, and Singapore.

Nest

Nests of Xylocopa nasalis are strictly unbranched and the provisioned cells are separated by distinct partitions made from bamboo shreds excavated by the founding female. Usually, the nest entrances are located mainly at the end of the bamboo culms, but there can be excavation from the underside for an entrance.

The average total nest length is 38.35 cm and the average nest length (from the nest entrance to the end of the innermost partitioned cell) is about 25.40 cm. The number of cells partitioned per nest is between zero and eight cells, with an average of about three per nest. [3]

Nest population

On average, there can be anywhere from 1 to 7 individual adult bees in an X. nasalis nest, with a female-biased sex-ratio of 8:1. In a given nest, sister bees can tolerate and live inside the same nest with up to 7 individuals along with their mother. [3]

Colony cycle

X. nasalis carpenter bees hibernate in their nest's tunnels during the winter and leave to mate in the spring. In addition to mating, these bees will use spring to excavate, clean, enlarge, and alter tunnels in their nest for new incoming eggs. Within the chambers of the nest, a mixture of pollen and regurgitated nectar is portioned as a food supply for the brood. An egg is deposited on top of each food supply in each chamber and then the chamber is sealed off. Once the eggs hatch into larvae, they remain in their nest chambers to complete their development and pupate. In August, the newly developed adult carpenter bees leave their nests, feed on nectar, and then return to the tunnels once winter arrives for the next cycle. [9]

Behavior

Nesting

X. nasalis is known to be a solitary bee; however, as seen in the case of X. nasalis, some species of the genus Xylocopa have simple social nests in which the mothers and daughters may co-inhabit. In this nest situation, a division of labor is implemented between the females. Duties include guarding near the entrance of the nest and foraging for food. [10]

Nest creation

X. nasalis use their mandibles to grind away at wood while they bodies vibrate, creating an entrance tunnel into the wood. However, carpenter bees do not eat wood; they will usually throw away the bits of shredded wood or reuse the bits to create walls within the tunneling nests. The tunnel is integral in storage for pollen, nursing the brood, and protecting the brood. [8]

Nest competition

Competition for nests is seen frequently in this species of bee, regardless of whether there is an abundance of resources for building the nest. Sometimes, X. nasalis females need to protect their nests by blocking or obstructing the entrance of her nest. The most common defense posture is that of a female blocking the entrance with her head; sometimes, the female will also use her metasoma to block the entrance. [3]

Entrance of nest Carpenter-bee.JPG
Entrance of nest

Foraging

X. nasalis displays polylecty and a broad host plant range when foraging for pollen. X. nasalis is known to forage for at least 14 different pollen types for the construction of pollen masses. Some of these pollen types come from Lithocarpus, Castanopsis, S. siamea, Trapa, Schima, and Croton . The bees' foraging behavior builds, stores, or catches foods such as nectar and pollen. These are used to feed and expand the colony. [3]

Mating

In the mating system of X. nasalis, the males search for females by flying around areas that females fly within and waiting for a specific female to pursue. It has also been documented that males may release pheromones into the air from their glandular reservoir in the mesosoma to attract females for reproduction. [11]

Communication

Like almost all other bee species, X. nasalis communicates mainly by dancing, which can communicate information to nearby bees. Information can include the location of provisions, danger warnings, and mating rituals.

Predators

Woodpeckers are known to prey on X. nasalis. Woodpeckers are attracted to the bee larvae sounds within the nest, and will drill holes with their beaks along the tunnels to reach the larvae.

Two species of flies, diptera and bombyliidae , are known to also prey on carpenter bees. These species of flies lay eggs at the entrance of a nest. Once the eggs become maggots, the maggots prey off the bee larvae, with little to no investment for the parent flies. [6]

Ecosystem role

The prominent ecological role of X. nasalis is to be a mass pollinator of a myriad of plant hosts. X. nasalis plays a positive role in the ecosystem and in humanity, as they pollinate innumerable plant species, such as crops, flowers, and other flora.

However, since they aid in the disintegration of wood, they do have a negative influence in everyday life. Although the damage to wood from a single bee is slight, the year-to-year damage done by many generations of the oriental carpenter bee can cause considerable structural damage to wooden structures, such as doors, window sills, roof eaves, shingles, railings, telephone poles, and even wooden lawn furniture. [9]

Conservation status

Like most bees, X. nasalis is a major pollinator of subtropic and tropic areas. However, it is in a population decline. Therefore, it is still in need of conservation efforts, but it is not an endangered species or even a threatened one.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpenter bee</span> Common name for a genus of bees

Carpenter bees are species in the genus Xylocopa of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant material such as dead wood or bamboo. The main exceptions are species in the subgenus Proxylocopa, which dig nesting tunnels in suitable soil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Xylocopinae</span> Subfamily of bees

The subfamily Xylocopinae occurs worldwide, and includes the large carpenter bees, the small carpenter bees, the allodapine bees, and the relictual genus Manuelia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern carpenter bee</span> Species of insect

Xylocopa virginica, sometimes referred to as the eastern carpenter bee, extends through the eastern United States and into Canada. They are sympatric with Xylocopa micans in much of southeastern United States. They nest in various types of wood and eat pollen and nectar. In X. virginica, dominant females do not focus solely on egg-laying, as in other bee species considered to have "queens". Instead, dominant X. virginica females are responsible for a full gamut of activities including reproduction, foraging, and nest construction, whereas subordinate bees may engage in little activity outside of guarding the nest.

<i>Xylocopa violacea</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa violacea, the violet carpenter bee, is the common European species of carpenter bee, and one of the largest bees in Europe. It is also native to Asia.

<i>Xylocopa sonorina</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa sonorina, the valley carpenter bee or Hawaiian carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee found from western Texas to northern California, and the eastern Pacific islands. Females are black while males are golden-brown with green eyes.

<i>Tetragonula carbonaria</i> Species of bee

Tetragonula carbonaria is a stingless bee, endemic to the north-east coast of Australia. Its common name is sugarbag bee. They are also occasionally referred to as bush bees. The bee is known to pollinate orchid species, such as Dendrobium lichenastrum, D. toressae, and D. speciosum. It has been identified as an insect that collects pollen from the cycad Cycas media. They are also known for their small body size, reduced wing venation, and highly developed social structure comparable to honey bees.

<i>Xylocopa bombylans</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa bombylans, the peacock carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee found in Australia. It gets its common name by its habit of burrowing into wood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">California carpenter bee</span> Species of bee

The California carpenter bee or Western carpenter bee, Xylocopa californica, is a species of carpenter bee in the order Hymenoptera, and it is native to western North America.

<i>Xylocopa caffra</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa caffra is a species of Afrotropical carpenter bee that ranges from west to central and southern Africa, besides Madagascar and some Indian Ocean archipelagos.

<i>Xylocopa caerulea</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa caerulea, the blue carpenter bee, is a species of carpenter bee.

<i>Eulaema meriana</i> Species of bee

Eulaema meriana is a large-bodied bee species in the tribe Euglossini, otherwise known as the orchid bees. The species is a solitary bee and is native to tropical Central and South America. The male collects fragrances from orchid flowers, which it stores in hollows in its hind legs. Orchids can be deceptive by mimicking the form of a female and her sex pheromone, thus luring male bees or wasps. Pollination will take place as the males attempt to mate with the labellum, or the tip petal of the flower. Male E. meriana are territorial and have a particular perch on a tree trunk where it displays to attract a female. After mating, the female builds a nest with urn-shaped cells made with mud, feces, and plant resin, and provisions these with nectar and pollen before laying an egg in each. These bees also have complex foraging and wing buzzing behaviors and are part of a mimicry complex.

<i>Euglossa cordata</i> Species of bee

Euglossa cordata is a primitively eusocial orchid bee of the American tropics. The species is known for its green body color and ability to fly distances of over 50 km. Males mostly disperse and leave their home nests, while females have been observed to possess philopatric behavior. Because of this, sightings are rare and little is known about the species. However, it has been observed that adults who pollinate certain species of orchids will become intoxicated during the pollination.

<i>Xylocopa sulcatipes</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa sulcatipes is a large Arabian carpenter bee. These multivoltine bees take part in social nesting and cooperative nesting. They are metasocial carpenter bees that nest in thin dead branches. One or more cooperating females build many brood cells. They have been extensively studied in Saudi Arabia and Israel.

<i>Scaptotrigona postica</i> Species of bee

Scaptotrigona postica is a species of stingless bee that lives mainly in Brazil. It is a eusocial bee in the tribe Meliponini. S. postica is one of 25 species in the genus Scaptotrigona and is a critical pollinator of the tropical rain forests of Brazil. They construct their nests in hollowed sections of tree trunks, allowing for effective guarding at the nest entrance. This species shows colony structure similar to most members of the Meliponini tribe with three roles within the colony: queen, worker, and male. S. postica individuals have different forms of communication from cuticular hydrocarbons to pheromones and scent trails. Communication is especially useful during worker foraging for nectar and pollen through the Brazilian tropical rain forests. S. postica is a very important pollinator of the Brazilian tropical rain forests and is widely appreciated for its honey. Stingless bees account for approximately 30% of all pollination of the Brazilian Caatinga and Pantanal ecosystems and up to 90% of the pollination for many species of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and the Amazon.

<i>Eufriesea surinamensis</i> Species of bee

Eufriesea surinamensis belongs to the tribe of euglossine bees and as such is a species of orchid bee. This should not be mistaken with the species group surinamensis, which includes Ef. surinamensis among other Eufriesea species.

<i>Xylocopa pubescens</i> Species of carpenter bee

Xylocopa pubescens is a species of large carpenter bee. Females form nests by excavation with their mandibles, often in dead or soft wood. X. pubescens is commonly found in areas extending from India to Northeast and West Africa. It must reside in these warm climates because it requires a minimum ambient temperature of 18 °C (64 °F) in order to forage.

<i>Xylocopa micans</i> Species of bee

Xylocopa micans, also known as the southern carpenter bee, is a species of bee within Xylocopa, the genus of carpenter bees. The southern carpenter bee can be found mainly in the coastal and gulf regions of the southeastern United States, as well as Mexico and Guatemala. Like all Xylocopa bees, X. micans bees excavate nests in woody plant material. However, unlike its sympatric species Xylocopa virginica, X. micans has not been found to construct nest galleries in structural timbers of building, making it less of an economic nuisance to humans. Carpenter bees have a wide range of mating strategies between different species. The southern carpenter bee exhibits a polymorphic mating strategy, with its preferred method of mating changing as the season progresses from early spring to mid summer. Like most bees in its genus, the southern carpenter bee is considered a solitary bee because it does not live in colonies.

<i>Trigona fuscipennis</i> Species of bee

Trigona fuscipennis is a stingless bee species that originates in Mexico but is also found in Central and South America. They are an advanced eusocial group of bees and play a key role as pollinators in wet rainforests. The species has many common names, including mapaitero, sanharó, abelha-brava, xnuk, k'uris-kab, enreda, corta-cabelo, currunchos, zagaño, and enredapelos.

<i>Megalopta</i> Genus of bees

Megalopta is a widespread neotropical genus of bees in the tribe Augochlorini in family Halictidae, known as the sweat bees. They are the largest of the five nocturnal genera in Augochlorini. Most have pale integumentary pigmentation, and all have large ocelli, most likely a feature of their nocturnal behavior. They live in tropical Central America and the entirety of South America. The subgenus Noctoraptor is cleptoparasitic. They are not known from the fossil record.

<i>Centris analis</i> Species of bee

Centris analis is a solitary, oil-collecting bee with a geographical range extending from Brazil to Mexico. C. analis is a small, fast-flying bee with an average head width of 3.21mm and 3.54mm for males and females, respectively. While most species of the genus Centris create burrows for nesting, C. analis and other species of the subgenus Heterocentris build nests in pre-existing cavities rather than in the ground. C. analis is a pollinator of many plant species, especially of those in the family Malpighiaceae, which has encouraged its application in acerola orchards.

References

  1. "Xylocopa nasalis". Discoverlife.org. Retrieved 2015-06-01.
  2. 1 2 Hannan MA, Alqarni AS, Owayss AA, Engel MS. (2012) The large carpenter bees of central Saudi Arabia, with notes on the biology ofXylocopa sulcatipes Maa (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae).ZooKeys 201: 1–14. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.201.3246
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Hongjamrassilp W, Warrit N (2014) Nesting biology of an Oriental carpenter bee, Xylocopa (Biluna) nasalis Westwood, 1838, in Thailand (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Xylocopinae). Journal of Hymenoptera Research 41: 75-94.doi: 10.3897/JHR.41.7869
  4. D Gerling, H.H.W. Velthuis, A. Hefetz (1989). Bionomics of the Large Carpenter Bees of the Genus Xylocopa. Annual Review of Entomology. Vol. 34: 163-190. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.en.34.010189.001115.
  5. Gupta, R.K., Yanega, D. 2003. A taxonomic overview of the carpenter bees of the Indian region [Hymenoptera, Apoidea, Apidae, Xylocopinae, Xylocopini, XylocopaLatreille]. pp. 79-100 in Gupta, R.K. (Ed.) Advancements in Insect Biodiversity. Agrobios, Jodhpur, India.
  6. 1 2 Minckley, R. L. (1998). "A cladistic analysis and classification of the subgenera and genera of the large carpenter bees, tribe Xylocopini (Hymenoptera: Apidae)". Scientific Papers (Natural History Museum, University of Kansas) 9: 1–47.doi:10.5962/bhl.title.16168.
  7. Salvatore Vicidomini (February 9, 2005). "Chapter 40 — Largest Eggs". Book of Insect Records.University of Florida.
  8. 1 2 Jones, Susan. "Fact Sheet Carpenter Bees". Ohio State University Extension
  9. 1 2 Potter, M. "Carpenter Bees". University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Department of Entomology.
  10. Yanega, D. "Carpenter Bees, Order Hymenoptera Family Apidae, Genus Xylocopa". U.C. Riverside Entomology Research Museum.
  11. Minckley, R. L.; Buchmann, S. L.; Wcislo, W. T. (1991). "Bioassay evidence for a sex attractant pheromone in the large carpenter bee, Xylocopa varipuncta (Anthophoridae: Hymenoptera)". Journal of Zoology224 (2): 285–291. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1991.tb04805.x.

Further reading