L o a d i n g
colony
4.3 m3
at 0.5 m
48.22ºN
[porous] stem
wood
excavating
rough
invertebrates
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
[porous] stem
colony
4.3 m3
at 0.5 m
48.22ºN
wood
excavating
rough
invertebrates
Austria
Vienna, Augarten
48.2263° N, 16.3781° E
02/04/25, 1:37pm
Provided by Paula Jana Peters and Wera Witek
The blue carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) is a large solitary species native to North Africa and Eurasia. Recognizable by its metallic blue body and violet wings, it thrives in warm, wooded habitats. It was found in one of the channels of this impressive deadwood stump. Females excavate tunnels in dead wood to lay eggs, giving the species its name. Unlike social bees, it does not form colonies, though nests show remarkable structure. It was named “Bee of the Year 2024.”
The portrait tree stump shows only part of the carpenter bee’s nesting habitat. Besides wood, these bees also use existing structures, similar to other wild bees. Suitable sites must provide security through a long vertical or horizontal entry, which can also be offered by grasses or other plants. Warmth and dryness are essential factors for habitat suitability.
The blue carpenter bee uses fallen or felled deadwood as its primary site for boring tunnels when no natural cracks or holes are available. As they do not live in colonies, individuals excavate single tunnels in dead or decaying wood, preferably in warm, dry locations.
The blue carpenter bee is unique in that it not only reuses existing structures but also creates new ones, setting it apart from other wild bees. By building, it also provides nesting opportunities for other species. Favoring sunny, dry locations, its range extends from Portugal to the Caucasus and Central Asia, reaching as far north as England and Sweden. The Augarten is a public park situated in the Leopoldstadt, the second district of Vienna, Austria. It contains the city's oldest Baroque park.
The female bee bores holes in dead wood with her strong mandibles, which are part of the insect’s upper jaw. The tunnels can extend up to 30 centimeters and are usually made in dead wood, as it is easier to penetrate than living wood. Inside, the tunnels are partitioned into breeding cells with walls of saliva and wood chips. Each cell contains a single egg, allowing the offspring to develop separately.
