A survey and phenotypic study of carpenter bee species recorded in Kzo village and its environs / Dohuk Governorate – Iraq

Abstract

All studies were conducted during the years 2020-2021 in the village of Kzo and its environs of Dohuk Governorate / northern of Iraq, the results of the survey led to the collection of 42 samples, Samples which all belongs to the genus  Xylocopa , Six samples represent four species from all samples were sent to Dr Munazah Associate Professor, Department of Entomology, University of Agriculture and Science and Technology of Kashmir, India for classification , The result of classification  showed that three of them were belong to the sub-genus Xylocopa represent two species,one male of species Xylocopa varentzowi  The main character is that the front legs were contained a dense group of long white hairs on the outer part of the tibia, Male and female of species Xylocopa violacea  the female were contained a density of black hairs on the front legs and more on the hind legs,The males of this species are distinguished by their antenna, in which the flagella consists of 11 segments and its segments is brown, but the ninth and tenth segments (9-10) which were characterized by their yellowish-orange color,and the other three specimens were belong to the sub-genus Proxylocopa represent two species, one female of species Xylocopa rufa were characterized by the calyx sita or hairs which covering edges of the abdominal region which were interrupted and unconnected in the middle, male and female of species Xylocopa olivieri were characterized by the hairs which were covered  the edges of the abdominal tergit segments, pale yellow color, continuous and unbroken in the middle, The results of phenotypic studies of male and females samples of the four species Xylocopa varentzowi,  Xylocopa violacea,  Xylocopa rufa and Xylocopa olivieri is reported for the first time from the high altitudes of  Duhok Governorate( more than 1,140 m above sea level), Iraq.