luckilucki's Favorites

So happy to see this lady. Last year I had a nesting female on my balcony and she or her offspring were regular visitors to my plants over most of the summer. This year I had a nesting female again, but it seems she either never finished provisioning the nest or the brood didn't survive. In any case, I've missed my big black bees.

Unlikely to be anything other than X. violacea based on location, but I think the photos allow for positive confirmation of the species. Detail of antennae in photos 4 and 5, detail of hind tibia in 6 and 7. She was surprisingly tolerant of me getting up close with a macro lens -- usually these bees are pretty camera shy.

Antenna segment 3 > 4+5
Antenna end slightly curved, tip concave.
2 rows of bumps on hind tibia.