Violet Carpenter Bee Xylocopa violacea

Europe's largest solitary bee at some 25mm long, the Violet Carpenter Bee is actually black but its iridescent wings of blue, violet and turquoise can make the shiny body appear violet.

It is present in most of southern and central Europe, through to Central Asia and India. This enormous bee has been breeding in the UK since 2006.

A solitary bee, the female tunnels into dead wood to lay her eggs, hence the name "carpenter" bee.

The 3 photos immediately above were taken by Alexandra Makhnina in Kazakhstan. Two show the relative size of the Violet Carpenter with a normal-sized bee.