Quote:
Originally Posted by aeshna5  Welcome Steve- yes this is a potentially exciting thread, though best to err on side of caution until we have the evidence. I would have thought mis-identification with Anthophora was unlikely- I would say they are much smaller. It's one of the few solitary bees I can confidently ID; they're regular in my garden visiting the Pulmonarias in early spring. The male resembles Bombus pascourum in general colour but the flight + high-pitched buzz is totally different to any bumblebee!
Let's hope we get some photos on here of the possible Xylocopa! |
I have a photo of one that I took in Kefalonia two years ago that may be of use for comparison. It's at:
VioletCarpenterBee.Kefalonia.07-06-05 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Cheers,
Steve.