Violet Carpenter Bee
Xylocopa violacea
- Group
- Bee
- Size
- 20–30 mm
- Risk
- No danger
- Protection status
- Strictly protected
- Identifying features
-
- Switzerland's largest solitary wild bee
- Deep black colouring
- Strikingly dark violet, shimmering wings
- Nests on its own in soft, decaying deadwood
The violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) is Switzerland’s largest solitary wild bee and is often mistaken for a hornet because of its imposing size — yet it is completely harmless.
Identifying features
- Size: 20–30 mm, very sturdily built
- Colouring: deep black, with no yellow markings
- Wings: strikingly dark violet and shimmering
- Nest: nests solitarily, meaning individually rather than as a colony, in soft, decaying deadwood
Risk
None: despite its size, the violet carpenter bee is entirely peaceable and practically never stings people.
Protection status in Switzerland
Strictly protected under Annex 3 of the Swiss Nature and Cultural Heritage Ordinance (NHV). Controlling or removing it is illegal.
What should you do about a nest?
Because the violet carpenter bee is strictly protected and harmless, its nesting site must not be removed or treated. If you are unsure about the species, we are happy to advise you.