Xylocopa violacea

The range of Xylocopa violacea extends from Europe eastward across Asia as far as central China, restricted to latitudes above 30 degrees. In 2006, Xylocopa violacea was reported from Cardigan, Wales. In 2007, it was found breeding for the first time in England, in Leicestershire. This follows a northwards expansion of its range in France, Germany, and the Channel Islands. In 2010 it was recorded in Northamptonshire and Worcestershire. In India, any all-black species of Xylocopa are referred to by the common name "" (or "" – – in Assamese), and reports and sightings of are commonly misattributed to this species. However, this species is found only in the northern regions of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab. Most reported sightings refer to any of several other common black Xylocopa, such as X. nasalis, X. tenuiscapa, or X. tranquebarorum. ==Description==

Violet carpenter bees hibernate over winter and they emerge in the spring, usually around April or May. Hibernation is undertaken by the adults in wood where there are abandoned nest tunnels. In the late spring or early summer, they may be seen around searching for mates and suitable nesting sites. After mating, the gravid females bore tunnels in dead wood, which is where the name "carpenter bee" comes from, although old nest tunnels may be used. Like other solitary bees, the female creates the nest alone. The eggs are laid within a series of small cells, each of which is supplied with a pollen ball for the larvae to feed upon. The adults emerge in late summer then hibernate until the following year. ==Gallery==

File:Abeille charpentiere 1024.jpg|Male European carpenter bee File:Bee September 2007-15.jpg|Female European carpenter bee File:Xylocopa violacea on a flower.jpg|In Barcelona File:Jardin des Martels - Abeille - 2016-08-07 - 03.jpg|In Jardins des Martels, France File:European violet carpenter bee.jpg|On a wild thistle in the Cévennes National Park, France File:Marvels of insect life; a popular account of structure and habit (1916) (14593767158).jpg|Cross-section of brood chambers File:Wing of blue carpenter bee.jpg|Wing of the violet carpenter bee under microscope File:Y v'aster, le drôle de machin bourdonnant.jpg|Gathering nectar from an aster, France File:Xylocopa violacea – violet carpenter bee – zadrzechnia fioletowa.jpg|Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea). Wrocław, Poland File:Xylocopa violacea – zadrzechnia fioletowa – violet carpenter bee.jpg|Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) collecting pollen from a sweet pea flower. Wrocław, Poland ==References==