White-cheeked Carpenter (Xylocopa aestuans)
- Yellow thorax
- Sides of head with white hairs
- Wings are dark brown, with purple iridescence
The female is mainly black with a thorax covered with deep yellow hairs except for a small black patch in the centre. The male, in contrast, is covered with fine yellow hairs, making it look fully dark yellow. They are named after a small patch of fine white hairs found behind their eyes in both sexes.
Females are often mistaken for the Yellow-and-black Carpenter Bee (X. flavonigrescens), though one way to tell them apart is to look at the luminous colours, known as iridescence, of their wings. Female White-cheeked Carpenter Beeshave a purplish brown iridescence on their wings as compared to the bluish-green iridescence of the Yellow-and-black Carpenter Bee.
Source: Singapore NParks
Taxonomi: https://inaturalist.ca/taxa/357129-Xylocopa-aestuans
