About Xylocopa caffra (Linnaeus, 1767)
This species is Xylocopa caffra, first described by Linnaeus in 1767. Females are black with two light-colored bands: one over the hind thorax, and one on the first abdominal segment. These bands are either white or yellow. Males of this species are uniformly greenish yellow in color. Female band color is linked to the dryness of climatic conditions experienced during larval development, and females of either band color, or intermediate color grades, can emerge from the same brood. All individuals found in the Western Cape have yellow bands. A distinct form with orange-red bands is found in East Africa. This species has been recorded across much of Africa, including Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Somalia, South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It also occurs in Indian Ocean island groups including Madagascar, the Comoro Islands and Seychelles.
