Since photographing these bees, I've learned that it's very difficult to differentiate between the violet carpenter bee (Xylocopa violacea) & the splay-footed one (X. valga), hence the fuzzy ID here.

And I should point out that this is a macro stack of two shots, one for the in-focus antennae, & the other for everything else.

And although this picture of another carpenter bee is nothing like as crisp overall, I can't resist sharing it too.

Not only does it illustrate the wings in their full metallic violet-blue glory, but it also captures a fleeting moment of garden drama, as a small spider crawls on the bee's head & a honey bee cruises in from behind.

It just goes to show how big the carpenter bees are 🙀

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@markmccaughrean

Remarkable photo. But I don't think the small bee is a honeybee (Apis mellifera)? It's tiny, adreniform... and I can't find it in the "Common Bees of Eastern North America" ... which makes sense since the large bee is Xylocopa californica I think? Meaning this is a photo from out west.

I know that Apis mellifera has many color variations, but this small bee almost has a green/blue sheen and I've never seen that. The eyes also seem too small... but this angle is hard.