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Community photo entitled Carpenter bee by Armando Caussade on 06/11/2024 at San Juan, Puerto Rico

Carpenter bee

On 06/11/2024 05:06 pm by Armando Caussade| San Juan, Puerto Rico

This looks like a carpenter bee from the genus Xylocopa and could probably be a specimen of Xylocopa mordax, known locally as 'abejorro carpintero'. If someone is well versed with this type of bee or is able to provide a more accurate identification, please let me know in the comments. I had never seen this before in my backyard where I found it, just laying in the grass, even though I spend meaningful time there every day. Yet, I believe I have seen these bees elsewhere, as the Xylocopa genus is well represented in the island of Puerto Rico and throughout the Greater Antilles. The insect remained unconcerned as I gradually approached, allowing me to get as close as half a meter in order to obtain this close-up. As I withdrew after the photo, the insect just stayed there like nothing happened.

Smartphone camera on Motorola G-Pure.

GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP) on GNU/Linux. (1) crop to 3,120 x 2,080 from the original at 3,120 x 4,160, which also changed the image orientation from portrait to landscape.