This pin was originally released in May 2025, as a part of the Bizarre Beasts Pin Club.

Small carpenter bees are any of the hundreds of species in the genus Ceratina that are found worldwide. Ceratina are generally bluish-green or black, and only about 8 millimeters long or smaller. They’re in the same family as honeybees, but they don’t live in colonies with a queen and workers. Like the big bees that share their “carpenter bee” namesake, Ceratina builds their nests by burrowing into wood.
They often live a solitary life, but a handful of species are using their family members in ways that are changing how we think about social insects in general.