The subfamily Xylocopinae (family Apidae) occurs worldwide, and includes the large

carpenter bee Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

s (tribe Xylocopini), the small carpenter bees (tribe Ceratinini), the allodapine bees (tribe Allodapini), and the relictual genus ''

Manuelia ''Manuelia'' is a genus of bees in the subfamily Xylocopinae, the only genus in the tribe Manueliini. There are three species.Engel, M. S. (2012)On the classification of the bee genus ''Manuelia'' (Hymenoptera: Apidae).''Acta Entomologica Sloven ...

'' (tribe Manueliini).

Subdivisions

The

Tribes The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to conflic ...

of Xylocopinae are: *The

Xylocopini Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

comprise a single genus, ''

Xylocopa Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant ma ...

'', and occur in worldwide distribution, on all continents except Antarctica. *The Ceratinini comprise a single genus, ''

Ceratina The cosmopolitan bee genus ''Ceratina'', often referred to as small carpenter bees, is the sole lineage of the tribe Ceratinini, and is not closely related to the more familiar carpenter bees. The genus presently contains over 300 species in 23 s ...

'', with a worldwide distribution. *The Manueliini comprise a single genus, ''

'', with only three species, which are restricted to Chile and the Lakes Region in Argentina.Engel, M. S. (2012)
On the classification of the bee genus ''Manuelia'' (Hymenoptera: Apidae).
''Acta Entomologica Slovenica'', 20(1) 65-72. *The Allodapini are restricted to sub-Saharan Africa, Madagascar, Southeast Asia, and

Australasia Australasia is a region that comprises Australia, New Zealand and some neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term is used in a number of different contexts, including geopolitically, physiogeographically, philologically, and ecologica ...

, with a rare genus ''Exoneuridia'' also occurring in montane regions of the Middle East. *The Boreallodapini is

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

, and known from specimens in

amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In Ma ...

Description

Some Xylocopinae have a cavity between the thorax and abdomen, called

acarinarium An acarinarium is a specialized anatomical structure which is evolved to facilitate the retention of mites on the body of an organism, typically a bee or a wasp. The term was introduced by Walter Karl Johann Roepke. Evolution The acarinarium has ...

, which provides accommodation for a colony of predatory mites, cleaning their hosts of external parasites."The Arthropods of Southern Africa" - Holm & Dippenaar-Schoeman (Lapa 2010) The vast majority of the Xylocopinae species make nests in dead

wood Wood is a porous and fibrous structural tissue found in the stems and roots of trees and other woody plants. It is an organic materiala natural composite of cellulose fibers that are strong in tension and embedded in a matrix of lignin th ...

, stems, or

pith Pith, or medulla, is a tissue in the stem Stem or STEM may refer to: Plant structures * Plant stem, a plant's aboveground axis, made of vascular tissue, off which leaves and flowers hang * Stipe (botany), a stalk to support some other ...

, and while many are

solitary Solitary is the state of being alone or in solitude. The term may refer to: * shortened form of solitary confinement * Solitary animal, an animal that does not live with others in its species * Solitary but social, a type of social organization in ...

, many are also communal or primitively

social Social organisms, including human(s), live collectively in interacting populations. This interaction is considered social whether they are aware of it or not, and whether the exchange is voluntary or not. Etymology The word "social" derives from ...

. Some genera of Allodapines commonly form

eusocial Eusociality (from Greek εὖ ''eu'' "good" and social), the highest level of organization of sociality, is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping generat ...

colonies.

References

Bee subfamilies {{Apidae-stub

Subdivisions

Description

See also

References