# ID? Mexico, looks like a huge bee/fly with metallic blue wings



## John Bokma (Jun 26, 2006)

Mexico, Veracruz, in a canyon (hot, damp)


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## Stylopidae (Jun 26, 2006)

carpenter bee


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## kraken (Jun 28, 2006)

Did it sting you????? Wow that is beautiful and scary!!(I am scared of bees!!:8o )


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## genious_gr (Jul 2, 2006)

genus Xylocopa I think, the females sting as I've heard


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## crashergs (Jul 2, 2006)

john...

what are you doing in xalapa mexico?? if you dont mind me asking.


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## Peter_Parker (Jul 2, 2006)

I heard carpenter bees are pretty much non-aggressive as far as bees go;  they supposedly only sting you when grabbed.  The males divebomb you if you come into their territory though, and it's really unnerving having giant bees headbutt you, even if they can't sting...


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## kraken (Jul 3, 2006)

I got stung when I was about 14 in the head cause my dad pissed of a HUGE male and he ran away past me and the the bee hit right as I turned to look!Man did that ever hurt!


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## John Bokma (Jul 3, 2006)

> Did it sting you?


No, it was even quite easy to get on my hand (I just let it walk onto it). I guess the wings were damaged, since it had problems with flying. After I had taken a few pictures I put it on a branch. It was not aggressive in any way.



> what are you doing in xalapa mexico?? if you dont mind me asking.


No problem  About 3 years ago I started to talk with the sister of an online friend. He lived in Xalapa at that time, and so did his sister. After 4+ months of long, long chats I decided to pack some stuff and take a plane to Mexico .


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## Sheri (Jul 3, 2006)

Wow, really nice.   It is not easy to get a shot of a live flying insect without the wings being blurry!


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## kraken (Jul 3, 2006)

I just could *NOT* bring myself to hold any bee!! 
They are nice to look at,but they all tend to get evil around me.


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