Subject: Furry Golden Monster
Location: Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico
February 3, 2013 3:31 pm
Dear Bugman,
While sitting on the end of a pier in Puerto Vallarta last week this scary guy landed on my shoulder. It was probably a little over 2 inches long and sounded like a helicopter when it buzzed by my ear. I’ve been trying to find out some facts about him but the internet has let me down. Please help!
Signature: -Bewildered Bob
Male Valley Carpenter Bee
Dear Bewildered Bob,
This is either a male Valley Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa varipuncta, or a closely related species in the same genus. Valley Carpenter Bees exhibit sexual dimorphism, and there is a distinct visual difference between the sexes. Males are golden in color while female Valley Carpenter Bees are black.
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