.ryzst

gallery

A female Carpenter Bee, possibly Xylocopa varipuncta, at the arboretum. Shot at 1/2000 sec, it still wasn't fast enough to freeze the wings. These adult females are about an inch and a half long. They usually avoid contact, but on a few occasions have displayed what could be either curiosity or hostility. It's hard to tell the difference when a stinging insect this large is rapidly approaching.