Japanese carpenter bee (Xylocopa appendiculata)

Japanese: クマバチ(熊蜂) - クマバチ（英語表記）Xylocopa appendiculata

An insect of the Hymenoptera family, Apidae (illustration). A type of bee. Commonly known as the carpenter bee. It is about 22 mm long, with a black body and a yellow marking on the head. It has yellow hairs on the back and sides of the thorax, and black hairs elsewhere. It resembles a bumblebee, but has fewer hairs and a somewhat flattened body. It is feared because it is large and has a stinger, but it is not aggressive and will not sting unless caught. It is endemic to Japan, distributed in Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Tsushima, and Yakushima. The carpenter bee genus is distributed widely throughout the world, but most species live in the tropics and subtropics.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

膜翅目ミツバチ科の昆虫（イラスト）。ハナバチの1種。俗称クマンバチ。体長約22mmで，体は黒色，頭部に黄紋がある。胸部背，側面に黄色の毛を，ほかには黒色の毛をよそう。マルハナバチに似るが毛は少なく，体はいくぶん扁平。大型で刺針があるため恐れられるが，攻撃性はなくつかまないかぎり刺さない。日本固有種で，本州，四国，九州，対馬，屋久島に分布する。クマバチ属は世界に広く分布するが，ほとんどの種は熱帯と亜熱帯に生息する。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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