Anthidium edwardsii

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium edwardsii Cresson, 1878
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) edwardsii are primarily black with yellow maculations and have dark brown antennae, legs, and abdomen (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 pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, except for yellow or brown hairs on the clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
, inner surface of the tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, T1–T5 depressed marginal zones, and 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 have a body length of 8.5–10.9 mm, and males range in length from 11.5–13.1 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.).

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.)

• Female labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  has large preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  projections that curve upwards, and lacks basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has five teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull and finely lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  .
• Female hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  without anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  carina.
• Female T1–T5 discal areas are weakly elevated with course, dense punctures.
• Female T1–T5 discal margins are narrow, smooth, and shiny.
• 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
  lacks a laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  angle, and is slightly swollen preapically with a depressed, narrow apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  rim.
• 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
  preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  is crenulatecrenulate:
  having a finely scalloped or notched outline or edge
  .
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  with preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  projections that are larger than those in females.
• 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
  with broad median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush of short, dense, reddish-brown hairs.
• 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is slightly concave medially.
• 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
  has small laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines and a rectangular median lobe.
• 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
  has a long, narrow apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  process that is apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  bifid.
• 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
  laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spine is straight, and as long as the 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
  median spine.
• 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
  laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobe tapers apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  , and the apexapex:
  end of any structure
  appears subtriangular.

May be confused with

Female Anthidium edwardsii may be confused with A. placitum due to their similar size and the shape of the clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
(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.). However, A. edwardsii can be differentiated by the lack of a laterally projected 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 a blunt tooth, a lack of dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
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
, and dull, finely punctatepunctate:
studded with tiny holes
, weakly elevated discal areas on the tergaterga:
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. edwardsii can be differentiated from all Anthidium by the presence of a pointed and narrow 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
, a brush of reddish-brown apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
hairs on 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
, and a laterally directed laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
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 edwardsii adults have been recorded in flight from April to October, with peak activity occurring from the last half of May to the first half of September (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 edwardsii is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Apiaceae, Asclepiadaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Cleomaceae, Convolvulaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polygonaceae, and Verbenaceae (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

Anthidium edwardsii has been observed nesting in dead bamboo (Grigarick and Stange 1968Grigarick and Stange 1968:
Grigarick, A.A. and L.A. Stange. 1968. Pollen collecting bees of the Anthidiini of California (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 9: 1ndash;113.).

Distribution

Anthidium edwardsii occur throughout Oregon, central Washington, southern Idaho, northern Utah, and in the Sierra Nevada of California, specifically in the Central Valley, Coast Ranges, and foothills. They are found primarily in the California chaparral, California woodlands, Central Valley grasslands, Sierra Nevada forests, Northern California coastal forests, Klamath-Siski forests, Snake-Columbia shrub steppe, and Great Basin shrub steppe (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.

Grigarick, A.A. and L.A. Stange. 1968. The pollen-collecting bees of the Anthidiini of California. Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 9: 1-113.