The violet carpenter bee is one of the largest and most striking wild bees in Europe. It gets its name from the brilliant, metallic purple-blue sheen on its wings and its unique habit of excavating nests inside dead wood.
The violet carpenter bee visits hundreds of different plant species. To access nectar from long tubular flowers like Salvia, it sometimes bites a hole through the side of the flower rather than entering through the top, grabbing the nectar without collecting pollen.