Western Carpenter

The Western Carpenter (Xylocopa californica) is a bee in the family Apidae, found in the San Francisco Bay Area.

This species is one of three members of the Xylocopa genus found at garden sites in California. Xylocopa sonorina and Xylocopa californica are also common.

Its flight season is year-round, with peak flight activity from March into August.

Western carpenter bees are solitary and long-lived. They overwinter in groups, drilling nests into soft or decaying wood or pithy stems.