carpenter bee

carpenter bee
any of several solitary bees of the family Apidae that nest in solid wood, boring tunnels in which to deposit their eggs.
[1830-40]

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▪ insect
      any of a group of small bees in the family Anthophoridae (order Hymenoptera) that are found in most areas of the world. The small carpenter bee, Ceratina, is about six millimetres long and of metallic coloration. It nests in plant stems, which the female first hollows out and then packs with pollen and eggs. A number of individual cells are placed in a row, separated by thin partitions of wood debris mixed with saliva. The large carpenter bee, Xylocopa, somewhat resembles the bumblebee but differs in having a nonhairy abdomen and in its habit of nesting in a tunnel excavated within solid wood. Xylocopa are often considered pests because of their tunneling in structural wood such as that of buildings and fences.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carpenter bee — Carpenter Car pen*ter, n. [OF. carpentier, F. charpentier, LL. carpentarius, fr. L. carpentum wagon, carriage.] An artificer who works in timber; a framer and builder of houses, ships, etc. Syn: {Carpenter}, {Joiner}. Usage: The carpenter frames… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • carpenter bee — n. any of certain solitary bees (family Anthophoridae) that bore tunnels in timber and lay eggs in them …   English World dictionary

  • Carpenter bee — Taxobox name = Carpenter bees image width = 200px image caption = carpenter bee ( X. violacea ) robbing nectar regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera subordo = Apocrita superfamilia = Apoidea familia = Apidae… …   Wikipedia

  • carpenter-bee — carˈpenter bee or carˈpenter ant noun A bee or ant that excavates its nest in wood • • • Main Entry: ↑carpenter …   Useful english dictionary

  • carpenter bee — noun large solitary bee that lays eggs in tunnels bored into wood or plant stems • Hypernyms: ↑bee • Member Holonyms: ↑Xylocopa, ↑genus Xylocopa …   Useful english dictionary

  • carpenter bee — n. type of solitary bee that dig tunnels in wood and lay its eggs there …   English contemporary dictionary

  • carpenter bee — noun a large solitary black bee with purplish wings, which nests in tunnels bored in dead wood or plant stems. [Genus Xylocopa.] …   English new terms dictionary

  • carpenter bee — car′penter bee n. ent any of several solitary bees of the family Apidae that build nests by boring tunnels in wood • Etymology: 1830–40 …   From formal English to slang

  • carpenter bee — /ˈkapəntə bi/ (say kahpuhntuh bee) noun any of various solitary bees of the family Xylocopidae that make their nests in wood, boring tunnels in which to deposit their eggs …  

  • carpenter bee — noun Date: 1838 any of various solitary bees (genera Xylocopa and Ceratina) that nest in wood …   New Collegiate Dictionary

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