Anthidium clypeodentatum

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium clypeodentatum Swenk, 1914
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) clypeodentatum are black with yellow or cream-colored maculations and some dark brown coloration on their antennae, legs, and sternasterna:
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
. This species has two color morphs based on its location. Northern species have cream-colored markings, which are absent on the female’s face, mandiblemandible:
bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
, and 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
(Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Species on the Nevada-California border have yellow markings, which are present on the female’s face, clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, T1–T6, and sometimes the mandiblemandible:
bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
(Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Females have white or yellow pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, which is darker on the fore and mid basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
, the inner hind basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
, and occasionally on S6S6:
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
. Females range in body length from 8.3–11.1 mm (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Males have yellow or brown pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
on the vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
, scutumscutum:
the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
, and scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
, and white hairs on the basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
. Males range in body length from 8.5–13.8 mm (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.)

• Tergal discs have sparse punctures that are 1–2 puncture widths apart.
• Tergal discdisc:
  a generic term for the middle surface of a plate (usually in reference to an abdominal segment)
  depressed marginal areas have dense punctures that are about 1 puncture width apart.
• Female antennal scapescape:
  the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
  has a posterior surface covered in short, white tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• Female clypeal distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin is strongly toothed or tuberculate.
• Female labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  has large, pre-apical projections, and lacks a basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberance.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  is seven-toothed.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is shiny.
• Female T1–T5 has elevated discal areas and is slightly shiny between punctures.
• Female 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
  has a narrow projection on the mid-apical margin, and lacks a laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  projection.
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  has low basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances.
• Male S4S4:
  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
  has thick, reddish-brown hairs.
• Male S6S6:
  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
  basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  margin is medially projected.
• Male S6S6:
  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
  median lobe is small and triangular.
• Male S7S7:
  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
  is slightly rounded.
• Male S8S8:
  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
  distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin is projected medially, and is truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  and sclerotizedsclerotized:
  hardened by the formation of sclerotin, specifically the exoskeleton of an insect
  .

May be confused with

Anthidium clypeodentatum may be confused with A. psoraleae due to the presence of short, white tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
on the antennal scapescape:
the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
, the medial projection on 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
in females, and a broad, laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
lobe on 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
with a sharp, angled inner margin in males (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Female A. clypeodentatum can be differentiated from A. psoraleae by the presence of a strongly toothed or tuberculate distaldistal:
place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
margin of the clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, and the lack of a laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
spine on 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
(Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Male A. clypeodentatum can be differentiated from A. psoraleae by the presence of a small and triangular median lobe on S6S6:
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
(Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.).

Phenology

Anthidium clypeodentatum adults have been recorded in flight from April to August, with peak activity occurring from June to the first half of August (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.).

Host associations

Anthidium clypeodentatum is a generalist that favors Lotus and Astragalus (Fabaceae). However, they have been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.).

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Anthidium clypeodentatum is one of the most widely distributed NearcticNearctic:
biogeographical region comprising North America as far south as northern Mexico, together with Greenland
species. It occurs throughout western Canada in Yukon, British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.). Within the U.S., A. clypeodentatum is found in Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Colorado, and from California and Arizona to Washington. Within Mexico, it is distributed throughout northern Baja California. They are primarily found in chaparral, margins of the desert, and upper elevations of shrub steppe, montane forests, and grasslands (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013Gonzalez and Griswold 2013:
Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal 168: 221ndash;425.).

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References

Gonzalez, V.H. and T.L. Griswold. 2013. Wool carder bees of the genus Anthidium in the Western Hemisphere (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae): diversity, host plant associations, phylogeny, and biogeography. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 168: 221-425.