Anthidium parkeri

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium parkeri Gonzalez and Griswold, 2013
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) parkeri are black with brown 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 some brown hairs on the clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, supraclypeal areasupraclypeal area:
the region of the head between the antennal sockets and clypeus, demarcated on the sides by the subantennal sutures
, fronsfrons:
the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
, vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
, inner basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
, T1–T4 discs, and center of 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 10.0–12.3 mm, and males range in length from 11.5–16.9 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 clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  , supraclypeal areasupraclypeal area:
  the region of the head between the antennal sockets and clypeus, demarcated on the sides by the subantennal sutures
  , paraocular areaparaocular area:
  the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
  , and fronsfrons:
  the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
  are dull between coarse, sparse punctures.
• Female labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  has basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances and lacks 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.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  is elongate with 8–9 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
  with anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  carina present.
• Female T1–T5 discal areas are weakly elevated, and are dull, weakly shiny, and weakly imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  between punctures.
• Female T1–T5 distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margins are dull and doubly carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  .
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones have small, dense punctations.
• 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 small laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  projection with a minutely crenulatecrenulate:
  having a finely scalloped or notched outline or edge
  preapical carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• 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 and lacks a median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush.
• 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
  have small, acute, laterally directed laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines and an apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  truncate 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  process is short and rounded or truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  .
• 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 strongly curved and longer than the median spine 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
  .
• 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 subtriangular.

May be confused with

Anthidium parkeri may be confused with A. maculosumdue to the presence of anterioranterior:
toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
hind tibial carinae and dull fronsfrons:
the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
with coarse and sparse punctures. Female A. parkeri can be differentiated from A. maculosumby the absence of dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
on the outer surface of 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
, dull clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, and shiny scutumscutum:
the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
and scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
with coarse, sparse punctures. Male A. parkeri can be differentiated from A. maculosumby a small medial denticledenticle:
a small tooth-like projection
on the 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
, apicallyapically:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
subtruncate median lobe of 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 shape of 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
and 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 parkeri adults have been recorded in flight in March, and from late June to December (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 parkeri has been observed visiting Vitex pyramidata (Lamiaceae) and Cuphea paucipetala (Lythraceae) (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 parkeri are native to Mexico and northern Guatemala. In Mexico, they are found in Sinaloa and from Durango to Chiapas. They primarily occur in dry and pine-oak forests (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.). None are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

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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.