Green carpenter bee fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are green carpenter bees?

Green carpenter bees are large native Australian bees with shiny metallic green bodies. They are also called golden-green carpenter bees or metallic green carpenter bees.

This fact sheet focuses on Xylocopa (Lestis) aerata, a rare native bee found in parts of New South Wales and on Kangaroo Island in South Australia. Some references and older image files use the name Xylocopa aeratus.

Green carpenter bees are called carpenter bees because females chew tunnels into soft, dead wood. They do not live in hives or make honey for people. Instead, a female builds nest tunnels where her young can grow safely.

A green carpenter bee.

A green carpenter bee visiting small white flowers.

Where do green carpenter bees live?

Green carpenter bees live in habitats that provide flowers and suitable dead wood. They may be found in woodland, open forest, heath and conservation areas where native flowering plants grow.

Females need soft, dry, dead wood for nesting. Important nest materials include dry grass tree flower stalks and dead banksia wood. These materials are often found in healthy bushland with older plants and natural woody habitat.

Green carpenter bees have disappeared from some areas where they once lived. Habitat clearing and intense fires can remove the dead wood they need for nesting and the flowering plants they need for food.

At Field of Mars Reserve, native flowering plants, grass trees, banksias and woody habitat support many insects and other small animals. These habitat features are important for native pollinators.

A green carpenter bee visiting pink flowers.

What do green carpenter bees eat?

Adult green carpenter bees drink nectar from flowers for energy. Females also collect pollen, which is rich in protein and helps young bees grow.

When a female builds a nest, she places pollen and nectar inside each brood cell. She then lays an egg on or near this food. When the larva hatches, it feeds on the stored pollen and nectar until it is ready to change into a pupa.

As green carpenter bees move between flowers, pollen can stick to their bodies. This makes them important pollinators for some native plants.

Native pea flowers can provide nectar and pollen for native bees.

What is the life cycle of a green carpenter bee?

Green carpenter bees go through complete metamorphosis. This means their life cycle has four main stages: egg, larva, pupa and adult.

A female green carpenter bee chews a tunnel into suitable dead wood. She divides the tunnel into separate brood cells. Each cell contains an egg and a food supply made from pollen and nectar.

The egg hatches into a larva. The larva stays inside the brood cell and feeds on the stored food. It then changes into a pupa before becoming an adult bee.

Young adult bees may shelter inside nest tunnels. Some adults can remain in the tunnels during cooler months and become active again when conditions are warmer.

Grass tree flower spikes provide flowers for pollinators and, after drying, may provide nesting material for green carpenter bees.

What adaptations do green carpenter bees have to help them survive?

Green carpenter bees have strong jaws that help females chew tunnels into soft, dead wood. These tunnels protect eggs, larvae and pupae from weather and many predators.

Their large wings and strong bodies help them fly between flowers. Their hairy bodies help them collect and carry pollen. Their loud buzzing flight can make them easy to notice when they move through flowering plants.

Their shiny green colour can look different in different light. A bee may appear green, blue-green, golden-green or slightly purple depending on the angle.

Nesting inside dead wood is a useful adaptation, but it also makes green carpenter bees vulnerable. If dead wood is removed or burnt too often, females may not be able to find safe places to raise their young.

Male green carpenter bees can have golden hairs and pale markings on the face.

Female green carpenter bees have strong bodies, powerful wings and pollen-carrying hairs.

Why are green carpenter bees important?

Green carpenter bees are important native pollinators. When they visit flowers for nectar and pollen, they can transfer pollen between flowers and help plants produce seeds.

They are also part of the bushland food web. Like other insects, they may provide food for birds, reptiles, spiders and other animals.

Green carpenter bees also show why dead wood is important habitat. Dry grass tree stalks, dead banksia wood, fallen branches and old plant material can provide homes for insects and other small animals. In healthy bushland, dead wood is not waste. It is habitat.

Green carpenter bees visit flowers and help move pollen between plants.

How can you help green carpenter bees?

You can help green carpenter bees by protecting habitat. Plant a variety of local native flowering plants so bees and other insects can find nectar and pollen across the year.

Where it is safe to do so, leave dry grass tree flower stalks, dead banksia wood, fallen branches and other natural woody material in bushland. These materials may already be homes for insects.

Avoid unnecessary pesticide use, especially on flowering plants. Bees can be harmed when they land on sprayed flowers or collect contaminated pollen and nectar.

If you find a possible green carpenter bee or a nest hole, take a photo from a safe distance. Do not disturb the bee, break open wood or damage nest tunnels.

Gardens and bushland with flowering plants can provide food for green carpenter bees.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview
• Insects fact sheet – explains insect features and how bees fit into the insect group.
• Blue-banded bee fact sheet – another native bee that visits flowers for nectar and pollen.
• Stingless bee fact sheet – a social native bee that lives in colonies.
• Fly fact sheet – explains another group of important flower-visiting insects.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Rock and log habitats fact sheet – fallen logs and dead wood provide shelter for many invertebrates.
• Shrub habitat fact sheet – flowering shrubs provide food and shelter for insects.
• Tree habitats fact sheet – explains how trunks, branches, bark and hollows provide habitat.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet – explains local bushland habitat.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the reserve habitats that support native plants and animals.

Plants that provide nectar and pollen

• Plant fact sheets – overview
• Old man banksia fact sheet
• Hairpin banksia fact sheet
• Scribbly gum fact sheet
• Paper-bark tea tree fact sheet

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