[3] The bee is similar in size to bumblebees, but has a glossy, mostly black body with a slight metallic purple tint.

[2] X. virginica have distinctive maxillae that are adapted to performing perforations on corolla tubes to reach nectaries.

Their maxillae are sharp and wedge-shaped, allowing them to split the side of corolla tubes externally to access the nectar.

[6] X. virginica belongs to the genus Xylocopa, which consists of over 400 species worldwide,[7] in the subgenus Xylocopoides, which contains only five New World species, including Xylocopa californica, which also occurs in the U.S. X. virginica is found throughout much of North America east of the Rocky Mountains and at least as far north as Nebraska, southern Ontario, and Maine.

[2] Eggs are laid in July, starting farthest from the exit hole, and by about August and mid-September, larval development has completed and all the pupae have become adults.

Due to the simultaneous nature of expiration of old bees and emergence of new ones, there is little overlap between generations, except for some females that survive a second winter.

Primary females act as the dominant within a nest and are in charge of reproduction, providing food for the larvae, and laying all the eggs.

Secondary females may sometimes participate in oviposition, and they reinforce this potential role by helping provide for the larvae or performing nest maintenance.

This happens when the bee pierces the corollas of long-tubed flowers, thus accessing nectar without making contact with the anthers and bypassing pollination.

Smaller males will stay at foraging sites or other areas they think females may pass so they can mate with reduced competition.

[5] Research has shown that, regardless of sex, X. virginica show more aggression toward non-nestmates than nestmates, indicating that they can recognize each other.

By living in social groups with inclusive fitness, the bees can raise offspring with the help of the nest community rather than as a solitary effort.

[12] The ability of X. virginica to recognize nestmates allows primaries and secondaries to exclude tertiary bees from their nests.

Tertiary bees are a burden on resources because they do not perform any useful activities, but they benefit from the food and shelter provided by the primary females.

[3] Males will establish territories near an active nest entrance to protect the colony and seek mating opportunities.

[2] There is one common species of bombyliid flies known to parasitize the larvae of Xylocopa virginica: Xenox tigrinus.

Eastern carpenter bees have mandibular glands that are known to produce a marking chemical in X. hirsutissima that functions as a nest marker or for female attraction.

The scent, composed of hydrocarbons and esters, discourages X. virginica, as well as other bee species, from returning to that same flower.

X. virginica visits many different kinds of flowers in order to gather pollen and nectar to bring back to the nest for larvae.

They are also able to produce an excrement upon exiting their tunnels that may splash on the sides of buildings and negatively affect the aesthetic appeal of that structure.

X. virginica offer benefits in the form of pollination for fruits, vegetables, legumes, and flower crops.

Although the pollination strengths of X. virginica are secondary to that of the bumblebees and honey bees, the contribution is great enough to overlook destructive tendencies.