Anthidium rodriguezi

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A, (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium rodriguezi Cockerell, 1912
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) rodriguezi are black except for the dark brown coloration on their antenna and tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
and yellow maculations. Females have white to cream pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
with darker 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
, 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
discs, coxaecoxae:
the basal segment of the leg
, trochanters, 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
(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 range in body length from 13.1–19.2 mm. Males have short, stout, simple, dark-brown hairs on the ventralventral:
of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
surface of the mesepisternummesepisternum:
the second or middle segment on the side of the thorax bearing the middle legs and the forewings, the pronotum is the first segment
, metepisternummetepisternum:
thorax segment bearing the hind legs and hind wings
, and base of the hind coxacoxa:
the basal segment of the leg
. Males range in body length from 16.9–21.5 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.)

• Abdomen lacking or with very restricted maculations.
• Female basitarsibasitarsi:
  the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
  with outer surface covered by dense tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• 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
  , and fronsfrons:
  the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
  are covered in simple, apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  hooked hairs and have dull integumentintegument:
  a tough, protective outer layer
  in 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, but lacks pre-apical projections.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  is elongate with 7–8 teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull and finely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• 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 depressed marginal zones are sparsely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• Female T1–T5 discal areas are weakly elevated and indistinctly differentiated from the depressed marginal zone, with shiny, weakly imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  to smooth areas between dense punctures.
• 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
  and sublateral spines.
• 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 strong with a wide, shallow 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
  on the median half of the margin.
• Male hind coxaecoxae:
  the basal segment of the leg
  are ventrally depressed.
• Male hind femurfemur:
  the third segment of the leg, situated between the trochanter and the tibia
  has basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  tubercles on the ventralventral:
  of, on, or relating to the underside of an animal, or segment of an animal
  surface.
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  lacks basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  projections.
• 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 an 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is strongly reflexedreflexed:
  bent up or away
  with acute laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  and median lobes.
• 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 narrowly projected 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
  is elongate with a weakly bifidbifid:
  divided into two branches; forked
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  process.
• 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 reduced or absent.
• 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 spiniform, stout, slender, curved, and about twice as long as the median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium rodriguezi can be differentiated from all Anthidium species in the U.S. except for A. chamelenseby their large body size and entirely or nearly entirely black abdomen. Female A. rodriguezi can be differentiated from A. chamelenseby the 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 acutely pointed laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
and sublateral spines. Male A. rodriguezi can be distinguished by their 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 laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
spines that are reduced or absent (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 rodriguezi adults have been recorded in flight from June to early December, with peak activity occurring from October to November (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 rodriguezi has been observed visiting Bidens sp. (Asteraceae), Salvia leptostachys, and S. melissodora (Lamiaceae) (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 rodriguezi are found in Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico (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 occur from Chiapas to Sinaloa, Nuevo Leon, and Tamaulipas. They are primarily found in dry forests, pine-oak forests, and moist 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.