These bees get their common name due to their shiny abdomen that resembles a Carpenter Bee. It is not as large as a Carpenter Bee but larger than a Honey Bee. They have a bulky, shiny, blue-black body. The females have few if any hairs on the upper part of their body, while the males have some whitish hairs on their heads and thoraxes.Their wings can often appear bluish-black as well.
Diet
This bee is an Asteraceae pollen specialist, meaning they only collect pollen from plants in the Asteraceae family which includes plants like asters, sunflowers, goldenrods, ironweeds, daisies, coneflowers, etc.
Activity Pattern
Diurnal (Active during day)
