Cyphanthidium

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Cyphanthidium Pasteels, 1969
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Cyphanthidium consists of medium-sized bees that range in body length from 7.5–8.5 mm. The integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
of the head, thorax, and abdomen can be black or brown, with cream to yellow maculations and unbroken maculate bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
on each tergumtergum:
the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Cyphanthidium contains 2 described species, C. intermedium and C. sheppardi, from southern Africa (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.)

• Arolia present.
• Juxtantennal carinae absent.
• Middle tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with two apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spines.
• Preoccipital carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  absent.
• Pronotal lobe pronotal lobe:
  a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
  carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  or lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  .
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  with foveafovea:
  a depressed region of cuticle; in bees this depressed area is usually only very slightly hollow and usually on the face.
  defined by a carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  behind spiraclespiracle:
  a breathing pore, usually occurring on the third thorasic segment
  absent.
• Female mandibles with four teeth.
• Female scopascopa:
  modified hairs for carrying pollen; often branched and dense hairs on the hind-leg, or on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Megachilidae
  present.
• Male S5S5:
  the plates on the underside of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6, S7, or S8
  broadly emarginateemarginate:
  a notched or cut out place in an edge or margin, can be dramatic or simply a subtle inward departure from the general curve or line of the margin or structure being described
  with laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  angle or lobe.
• Male T6T6:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  with median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  tooth or small projection.
• Male T7T7:
  the segments on the top side of the abdomen, often abbreviated when referring to a specific segment to T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, T6, or T7
  trilobed.

May be confused with

Cyphanthidium may resemble Afranthidium in their size and in having continuous colored bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
on the abdomen. Cyphanthidium can be distinguished from Afranthidium by the presence of an aroliaarolia:
the cushion-like pad between the tarsal claws found at the ends of some bees' legs
and the four-toothed mandibles of the females. Cyphanthidium and Afranthidium are sympatricsympatric:
overlapping geographic distribution
in South Africa; however, Afranthidium has a broader distribution that extends to southern Europe and western Asia (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Cyphanthidium have been collected on Fabaceae, Boraginaceae, and Acanthaceae (Gess and Gess 2007Gess and Gess 2007:
Gess, S.K. and F.W. Gess. 2007. Notes on nesting and flower visiting of some anthidiine bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Megachilinae: Anthidiine) in southern Africa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 16: 30ndash;50.).

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Both known species, C. intermedium and C. sheppardi, are found in southern Africa in Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Cape Providence of South Africa (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

References

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.
 
Gess, S.K. and F.W. Gess. 2007. Notes on nesting and flower visiting of some Anthidiine bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae: Megachilinae: Anthidiini) in Southern Africa. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 16:30-50.