Ceratina cucurbitina

• Scientific name: Ceratina cucurbitina
• Common name: small carpenter bee
• Dimension: 6-8 mm
• Habitat: warm, dry places, uncultivated vineyards, forest edges and country hedgerows; the presence of suitable nesting sites is fundamental
• Behavior: solitary
• Collective behavior: polylectic
• Nest: in pithy plant stems
• Red list of bees in Switzerland: not endangered

Interesting Facts:

The small carpenter bee is highly dependent on the presence of suitable nesting sites. To build its nest and hibernate, it needs thick brambles or other pithy plant stems, such as those of mullein or elderberry. It is therefore essential not to remove these stems, but to leave them intact for two or three years.