Heather Angel / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp) nectaring on Clary sage (Salvia sclarea). Pollen deposited on bee's back by hanging anthers. Turkey. June.

Heather Angel / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa fimbriata) nectaring on Quickstick / Mother of cocoa tree (Gliricidia sepium). Chiapas, Mexico.

Heather Angel / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra) male piercing corolla to rob nectar from Ninepin heath (Erica mammosa), failing to pollinate flower. Harold Porter Botanic Garden, Cape Fynbos, South Africa. February.

Heather Angel / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra) male robbing nectar from Ninepin heath (Erica mammosa), not pollinating flower. The Cape, South Africa. February.

Derek Galon / Tropical carpenter bee (Xyloscopa brasilianorum) pollinating a Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis). Dominica, Eastern Caribbean.

Derek Galon / Tropical carpenter bee (Xyloscopa brasilianorum) pollinating a Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis). Dominica, Eastern Caribbean.

Derek Galon / Tropical carpenter bee (Xyloscopa brasilianorum) pollinating a Passionfruit (Passiflora edulis). Dominica, Eastern Caribbean.

Nature Production / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa ogasawarensis) endemic species, collecting nector from Schima mertensiana, endemic species, Chichijima, Ogasawara Islands UNESCO World Heritage Site, Japan

Fabrice Cahez / Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) Vosges, France, April.

Nick Upton / Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) nectaring on a Spiny globe thistle (Echinops spinosissimus) flower, Crete, Greece, July.

MYN / Clay Bolt / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) next to a Small carpenter bee (Ceratina), South Carolina, USA. Composited image. Meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Clay Bolt / Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) with high density of mites, next to a Cuckoo bee (Holcopasites calliopsidis), which is dwarfed by a US dime. Composite. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Clay Bolt / Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) male on dandelion, Mt Ranier, Maryland, USA, April.

John Abbott / Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans) female flying, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. July

John Abbott / Southern carpenter bee (Xylocopa micans) female flying, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. July

Fabrice Cahez / Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) feeding, Vosges, France, April.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos sulphur butterfly (Phoebis sennae marcellina) feeding from Opuntia (Opuntia sp) cactus flower with endemic Carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwinii) Alcedo Volcano, Isabela Island, Galapagos, Ecuado...

Tui De Roy / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwini) male feeding on Scalesia flower, Itabaca Channel, Baltra Island, Galapagos, Ecuador, May.

John Abbott / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa tabaniformis orpifex) - male. California, USA, June.

John Abbott / California Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa californica) Antelope Springs, Inyo County, California, USA, June.

Agustin Esmoris / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa augusti) entering nest in tree, Buenos Aires, Argentina

MYN / Clay Bolt / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa aeneipennis) Rupununi, Dadanawa, Guyana. Meetyourneighbours.net project

MYN / Clay Bolt / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa aeneipennis) Rupununi, Dadanawa, Guyana. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Clay Bolt / Eastern Carpenter Bee ( Xylocopa virginica) with Varrow mite and covered in dew, Southern Appalachians, South Carolina, USA, August.

Clay Bolt / Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) flying around a flowering Eastern Redbud tree (Cercis canadensis), Southern Appalachians, South Carolina, USA, April.

MYN / Pierre Escoubas / Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) Valbonne, France, August. Meetyourneighbours.net project.

Tui De Roy / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwinni) and Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) on Scalesia vilosa flowers. Punta Cormorant, Floreana Island, Galapagos.

Michael Durham / Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) covered in pollen, in flight near North Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee, USA, June.

MYN / Joris van Alphen / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa myops) female, Crocker Range, Borneo, Malaysia. Meetyourneighbours.net project

Stephen Dalton / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa sp) on Knapweed, England, UK, August

Nick Upton / Male Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) with tatty wings feeding on Scotch / Cotton thistle (Onopordum acanthium), Port Cros Island National Park, Hyeres archipelago, France, May.

Suzi Eszterhas / Carpenter Bees (Xylocopa) feeding on honeybee, Red Corral Ranch, Texas, USA

Murray Cooper / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sp) feeding on Passion Flower (Passiflora sp)

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) female on Opuntia (Opuntia sp) cactus flower, Alcedo Volcano, Isabella Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Pete Oxford / Galapagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) female feeding on cactus flower, Alcedo Volcano, Isabella Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tim Laman / Galapagos carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwini) feeding from flower of giant Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia sp.). Endemic to Galapagos. Cerro Dragon, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands.

Albert Lleal / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea) SEM close-up of mandibles of at 14x magnification

Albert Lleal / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa violacea) SEM close-up view of point of articulation between two segments of the antenna at 70x magnification

Dietmar Nill / Carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) in flight beside a Rocket Larkspur (Delphinium ajacis) plant, Bulgaria

Rolf Nussbaumer / Carpenter Bee {Xylocopa virginica} feeding on Mealy sage (Salvia farinacea) Hill Country, Texas, USA

Jose B. Ruiz / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa violacea} Spain.

Jose B. Ruiz / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa violacea} Spain.

Dietmar Nill / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa violacea} adult flying to Larkspur {Consolida ajacis}, Bulgaria.

Dietmar Nill / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa violacea} adult flying to Larkspur {Consolida ajacis}, Bulgaria.

Dietmar Nill / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa violacea} adult feeding on Larkspur {Consolida ajacis}, Bulgaria.

Doug Wechsler / Carpenter bee {Xylocopa sp} feeding at butterfly bush, Pennsylvania, USA.

Kim Taylor / Carpenter bee males in territorial engagement. South Africa. Digital composite

PREMAPHOTOS / Carpenter bee male patrolling territory (Xylocopa sp.) Kenya, Africa - guards its territory round bush.

Agustin Esmoris / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa augusti) entering burrow, Bahia Blanca, Argentina

Agustin Esmoris / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa augusti) entering burrow, Bahia Blanca, Argentina

Tui De Roy / Galapagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) female feeding on flower nectar, Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Galapagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) male feeding on flower nectar, Itabaca Channel, Baltra Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Tui De Roy / Galapagos Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa darwini) male feeding on flower nectar, Itabaca Channel, Baltra Island, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Michael Durham / Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica) flying covered in pollen, Cherokee National Forest, Tennessee

Neil Aldridge / Double-banded carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra) female nectaring flowers, Makuleke Region, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

Neil Aldridge / Double-banded carpenter bee (Xylocopa caffra) female nectaring flowers before leaving frame, Makuleke Region, Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, South Africa.

Vishal Jadhav / Golden-winged bamboo-carpenter bee (Xylocopa auripennis) collecting pollen from Streaked rattlepod (Crotalaria pallida) flowers by flying between them, Pune, India. October.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos carpenter bee (Xylocopa darwini) nectaring on Giant prickly pear (Opuntia echios) flower. Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

Paul Harcourt Davies / Violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) resting on a flower, Podere Montecucco, Orvieto, Umbria, Italy. August.

Doug Wechsler / Eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) on Spotted beebalm (Monarda punctata), New Jersey, USA. September.

Tui De Roy / Galapagos carpenter bee (Xilocopa darwini) visiting native passionflower (Passiflora foetida) in photographer Tui De Roy's garden, Santa Cruz Island, Galapagos Islands

Derek Galon / Slow motion shot of a female Tropical carpenter bee (Xylocopa brasilianorum) nectaring from a Passionflower (Passiflora edulis), Dominica, Lesser Antilles.