Anthidium palliventre

Taxonomy

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

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) palliventre are dark brown to black with reddish-brown coloration on the tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
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 pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
except for dark brown hairs on the inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
and centers of S2–S6, and ferruginousferruginous:
rust-colored
hairs on the vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
, pronotal lobepronotal lobe:
a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
, 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
, and scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
(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 a body length of 8.5–10.6 mm, and males vary in length from 10.0–15.4 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 elevated basally 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
  has six teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull to 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 or weakly shiny between punctures.
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones have fine, small, 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
  has distinct laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  angles.
• 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 dense, small, and dark 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
  with acute, ventrally directed, laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobes, and a bidentatebidentate:
  having two teeth
  median lobe.
• 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 bifidbifid:
  divided into two branches; forked
  with ventrally bent, pointed 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 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 distally, is usually curved, and is 1.3 times wider than the distance between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium palliventre can be easily differentiated from all other Anthidium in the U.S. by the fringe of long hairs on the posterior margin of the fore basitarsusbasitarsus:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
. Male A. palliventre can be distinguished by the combination of an apicallyapically:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
curved 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
, acute laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
lobes and a bidentatebidentate:
having two teeth
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
, and an apicallyapically:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
bifid 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
(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 palliventre adults have been recorded in flight from April to late September; however, one specimen was recorded in late 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 palliventre is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Crassulaceae, Fabaceae, Nyctaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Polygonaceae, 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

Anthidium palliventre construct nests in the sand. They excavate their nests with aid from a fringe of long hairs on the posterior margin of the fore basitarsusbasitarsus:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
(Hicks 1928Hicks 1928:
Hicks, C.H. 1928. Notes on Anthidium palliventre Cresson. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 5: 51ndash;52.). Males have been observed displaying territorial behaviors, such as guarding the host plants that are preferred by the females (Villalobos and Shelly 1991Villalobos and Shelly 1991:
Villalobos E.M. and T.E. Shelly. 1991. Correlates of male mating success in two species of Anthidium bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 29: 47ndash;53.).

Distribution

Anthidium palliventre are native to the west coast of the United States, where they have been observed nesting in sand dunes. Although most frequently found from southern California to northern Oregon, Anthidium palliventre have been recorded as far north as Alaska (Armbruster and Guinn 1989Armbruster and Guinn 1989:
Armbruster, W. S. and D. A. Guinn. 1989. The solitary bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of interior and arctic Alaska: flower associations, habitat use, and phenology. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 468-483.; 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.).

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

References

Armbruster, W. S. and D. A. Guinn. 1989. The solitary bee fauna (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of interior and arctic Alaska: flower associations, habitat use, and phenology. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society, 468-483.

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.

Hicks, C.H. 1928. Notes on Anthidium palliventre Cresson. The Pan-Pacific Entomologist 5: 51-52.

Villalobos, E.M. and T.E. Shelly. 1991. Correlates of male mating success in two species of Anthidium bees (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 29: 47-53.