Virginia Carpenter Bee

From the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS):

"But, Xylocopa virginica, what big eyes you have!"
"All the better to see you with, my dear"

The male of Xylocopa virginica or Virginia Carpenter Bee. Any bee with this much "eye" is clearly doing something different visually. In this case the males are guarding nesting territories as well as the associated females and their young and defending them from other males. The males are completely harmless and have no sting, like all male Hymenoptera. While the females have stings, they are relatively minor compared to other insects such as honeybees and paper wasps.

Photo credit: USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab (USGSBMIL on Flickr and Instagram).

#USGS #science #biology #bees #insects#macrophotography #macro