Anthidium pallidiclypeum

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium pallidiclypeum Jaycox, 1963
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) pallidiclypeum are dark brown to black with reddish-brown tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, light brown apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
rims of 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
, and 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 white to light ferruginousferruginous:
rust-colored
pubescence that is slightly darker 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
, axillaaxilla:
the triangular or rounded point on the thorax where thoracic muscles meet the forewing of an insect
, scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
, inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, 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 9.2–13.5 mm, and males range in length from 10.0–12.3 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
  is basally elevated with two 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.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  usually has 5–6 teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is weakly shiny and finely lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  to imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  .
• 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 dull and weakly shiny between punctures.
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones have fine, dense punctures.
• Female T1–T5 impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  zones are dull and narrow.
• 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 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
  with median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush of reddish-brown, sparse hairs that can be difficult to see among the other hairs on the sternitesternite:
  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
  .
• 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 straight 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
  lacks laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobes, and the median lobe is broad and truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  or slightly rounded.
• 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 truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  .
• 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
  process is long, narrow, and apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  bifid with ventrally bent lobes.
• 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 about as long as 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
  lobes rounded apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  and 1.3–1.5 times wider than the distance between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium pallidiclypeum may be confused with A. edwardsii and A. placitum because of the distinctly concave apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin of the clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
. The clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
of A. pallidiclypeum differs from these other species in that it lacks strong sub-lateral projections on the apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin (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. pallidiclypeum can be distinguished by the reddish-brown median apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
brush 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
, the shape of 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
laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
lobes, and the bifidbifid:
divided into two branches; forked
apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
process of 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
having clubbed ends (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 pallidiclypeum adults have been recorded in flight from late April to early July, with peak activity occurring from the last half of May to the first half of June (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 pallidiclypeum is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Cactaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polygonaceae, Ranunculaceae, and Rhamnaceae (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 pallidiclypeum occur in the U.S. in California and southern Nevada. They are restricted to mountainous areas of the Mojave Desert, California chaparral and woodlands, and southeastern Great Basin shrub steppe ecosystems. In Mexico, they are commonly found in Baja California (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.