Anthidium illustre

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium illustre Cresson, 1879
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) illustre are dark brown to black with yellow maculations (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 yellow to ferruginousferruginous:
rust-colored
pubescence, sometimes with white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
on the sides of the thorax, legs, tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, and abdomen. Females have a body length of 11.5–16.5 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 dense, short, stout, simple, dark brown pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
on the ventralventral:
of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
surface of the hind coxacoxa:
the basal segment of the leg
. Males range in body length from 14.6–18.5 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
  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 curve upwards.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  with 6–8 teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is shiny and finely imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  to 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 and weakly shiny.
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones are dull with coarse and dense punctationpunctation:
  overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
  .
• 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
  bilobed with distinct laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines.
• 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
  lacks a median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush, but the apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is distinctly concave with tufts of reddish-brown hair on the sides of the concavity.
• 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
  laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobes are obliquely truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  , and the 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is pointed.
• 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is pointed, and the apexapex:
  end of any structure
  is laterally flattened and dorsally projected.
• Male 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
  depressed marginal zone is densely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• 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 longer than 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 is curved with a convexconvex:
  curved outward
  outer and inner margin.

May be confused with

Anthidium illustre may be confused with A. formosum based on the large body size, 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
apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin with deep median emarginationemargination:
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
, and elongate male penis valves (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.). Anthidium illustre can be differentiated from A. formosum by the presence of 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 on the labrumlabrum:
part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
(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. illustre can also be differentiated from A. formosum by the shape of 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 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 illustre adults have been recorded in flight from late February to August; however, two specimens were recorded in October. Peak activity occurs from May to July (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 illustre is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Fumariaceae, Lamiaceae, Liliaceae, Malvaceae, Onagraceae, Orobanchaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Polygonaceae, and Themidaceae (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 illustre nests in preexisting cavities. They have been observed nesting in the ground, inside abandoned nest tunnels of Anthophora occidentalis, inside beetle burrows, and in trap nests (Johnson 1904Johnson 1904:
Johnson, S.A. 1904. Nests of Anthidium illustre Cress. Entomological News 15: 284.; Hicks 1929Hicks 1929:
Hicks, C.H. 1929. On the nesting habits of Callanthidium illustre (Cresson). The Canadian Entomologist 61: 1ndash;8.; Parker 1987Parker 1987:
Parker, F.D. 1987. Nests of Callanthidium from block traps (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 63: 125ndash;129.). Beetle burrows were filled with dead Hesperoyucca whipplei stalks (Hicks 1929Hicks 1929:
Hicks, C.H. 1929. On the nesting habits of Callanthidium illustre (Cresson). The Canadian Entomologist 61: 1ndash;8.). Hicks (1929) also reported that females collect trichomes from Lepidospartum squamatum (Asteraceae) for their nests, and males exhibit territorial behaviors.

Distribution

Anthidium illustre occur throughout California, southern Oregon to southwestern Utah, and New Mexico in the U.S. (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.). In Mexico, they are found within Baja California. They are found primarily in scrub habitats and are absent in xericxeric:
a very dry habitat
ecosystems (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

Hicks, C.H. 1929. On the nesting habits of Callanthidium illustre (Cresson). The Canadian Entomologist 61: 1-8.

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.

Johnson, S.A. 1904. Nests of Anthidium illustre Cress. Entomological News 15: 284.

Parker, F.D. 1987. Nests of Callanthidium from block traps (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 63: 125-129.