Xylocopa mordax

Xylocopa mordax is a large carpenter bee in the family Apidae, commonly associated with the Caribbean and the Antillean region. It was described by Smith in 1874 and belongs to a genus known for excavating nests in wood. [Dutch Caribbean Species Register](https://www.dutchcaribbeanspecies.org/linnaeus_ng/app/views/species/nsr_taxon.php?cat=CTAB_NAMES&id=178692)

Females excavate galleries in dead trunks, branches, and other suitable wood rather than building wax combs like honeybees. Puerto Rican pollinator guidance specifically records Xylocopa mordax nesting in dead trunks or branches. [Puerto Rico pollinator guide](https://www.uprm.edu/sea/wp-content/uploads/sites/351/2024/05/Especies-Plantas-Nativas-Prado.pdf)

It is generally treated as a solitary carpenter bee, so one female provisions her own brood cells instead of maintaining a honeybee-style colony. Several females may use the same piece of wood, which can make a nesting site look social even though each bee has individual galleries.

A female carpenter bee can sting if handled or trapped, while males cannot sting because they lack a functional stinger. The safest way to observe one is to leave it on flowers or near its wooden nest entrance.