Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium tenuiflorae Cockerell, 1907
Common name: none
Anthidium (Anthidium) tenuiflorae are dark brown to black, with light brown coloration on the tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, and ivory or 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 or yellow pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
except for darker hairs on the inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
and center of the sternal scopascopa:
modified hairs for carrying pollen; often branched and dense hairs on the hind-leg, or on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Megachilidae
. The fore and mid basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
are covered by dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
. Females have a body length of 8.0–9.3 mm, and males range in body length from 8.9–13.1 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.).
(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 A. tenuiflorae can be differentiated from other Anthidium species by the combination of pale sternal scopascopa:
modified hairs for carrying pollen; often branched and dense hairs on the hind-leg, or on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Megachilidae
, distinctly shiny 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 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
broadly truncatetruncate:
ending abruptly, or squared off
without a distinct 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
(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. tenuiflorae may be confused with A. emarginatumand A. platyfronsby the broadly rounded laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
lobe of 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
, and 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 an apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
brush of long, black hairs. Male A. tenuiflorae can be differentiated from these two species by the narrow, acute laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
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
with a concave outer margin and a long, narrow 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
(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 tenuiflorae adults have been recorded in flight from March to September; however, a single specimen was recorded in November. Peak activity occurs from June to August (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 tenuiflorae is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Alliaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Crassulaceae, Fabaceae, Lamiaceae, Onagraceae, Plantaginaceae, 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.).
Anthidium tenuiflorae may nest in holes in the ground. Nest plugs are comprised of pebbles (Hicks 1926Hicks 1926:
Hicks, C.H. 1926. Nesting habits and parasites of certain bees of Boulder County, Colorado. University of Colorado Bulletin 15: 217ndash;252.).
Anthidium tenuiflorae are thought to be the most widespread species of Anthidium in North America. They occur in the U.S. in California, Arizona, northern New Mexico, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Alaska, Colorado, and Washington (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 in Baja California. In Canada, they are found in British Columbia, Yukon, Alberta, and Saskatchewan (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.). They are found primarily in pine-oak forests, montane chaparral, woodlands, forests, shrub steppe, grasslands, and tundras, but are absent in deserts (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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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. 1926. Nesting habits and parasites of certain bees of Boulder County, Colorado. University of Colorado Bulletin 15: 217-252.