Nesting and Hibernation Host Preference of Bamboo Carpenter Bee, Xylocopa (Biluna) tranquebarorum tranquebarorum, and Arthropods Co-Habiting and Re-Using the Bee Nest

The bamboo carpenter bee, <i>Xylocopa</i> (<i>Biluna</i>) <i>tranquebarorum tranquebarorum</i>, is native to continental China and Taiwan, and the species invaded Japan around 2006. The bee utilizes bamboo culm for its nesting and hibernation, thereby causing structural damage to bamboo fencing and sting injuries to humans. Serious economic and ecological impacts were not expected in the early stage of its invasion. However, its distribution is rapidly expanding in Japan, and thus, its potential impacts need to be evaluated. Since the basic biology of the bee has not been examined in detail, even in its natural range, we examined the basic biology of <i>X. t. tranquebarorum</i> in its invasive range by evaluating its nesting preference and hibernation in several bamboo species collections in Kyoto, Japan. The field survey revealed that the bee prefers dead bamboo internodes with approximately16-28 mm of external diameter, which is well-congruent with previous studies, and does not have strict preference concerning the bamboo species, though the bee prefers <i>Bambusa multiplex</i> and <i>Phyllostachys</i> spp. in its native range. The hibernating bees in the culm sometimes share their nests with other invertebrates, including <i>Anterhynchium gibbifrons</i>, <i>Dinoderus japonicus</i>, <i>Crematogaster matsumurai</i>, unidentified spiders, shield bugs, and lepidopteran larvae. Within these co-habitants, the former two possibly negatively affect nesting and hibernation of the bees.