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Centris (Paracentris) xanthomelaena is a ground-nesting solitary bee endemic to Brazil's Caatinga biome. In this unprecedented study, we described this species' nesting biology and other features, such as its architecture, nest building dynamics, sex ratio and adult emergence. We selected five aggregations in a fragment of seasonally dry forest. Nests were established on vertical banks and flat soil. The architecture was branched and the brood cells were linearly arranged. Females spent an average of 1.8 days building and supplying each brood cell (n = 13). The C. xanthomelaena bionomy is similar to that reported in bees of the same genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]