Bug FAQPubescent Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa pubescens · Order: Hymenoptera · Family: Apidae
Source: Wikipedia
Females are large, shiny, black with yellow head markings; males are smaller with a narrow head and yellow hair covering their bodies. They nest in dead or soft wood, including the wood of buildings, which can lead to damage in homes.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Males are smaller, have a narrow head, and are covered in yellow hair.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Females are larger than males. Males are smaller than females.
Source: Wikipedia
Is it a pest in the house?
Their nests in dead or soft wood can be found inside wooden parts of homes.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They visit many kinds of plants for food. Adults collect nectar for bee bread and pollen to feed their larvae.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Colonies can start any time from early March to early November, depending on conditions.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The breeding season runs from early March to early November. Most mating happens in spring, with some occurring in fall.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Their range extends from Cape Verde to South Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
How can I prevent damage to my house?
Seal cracks and replace soft or decaying wood to remove nesting sites.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Apidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xylocopa_pubescens
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.