Pseudoanthidium alpinum

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Pseudoanthidium, Friese 1898
Subgenus: Pseudoanthidium, Friese 1898
Species: Pseudoanthidium alpinum, Morawitz 1874

 

Background

Pseudoanthidium alpinum are small, 6–7 mm bees with black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
and symmetrical yellow markings on their mandibles, paraocular areaparaocular area:
the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
, and vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
as well as on each of their 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
. They have yellow-orange legs and sparse white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
throughout their body. THey have transparent to slightly dark brown wings.

Distribution

Pseudoanthidium alpinum are known from Spain, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Turkey, and around the Caucasus Mountains (Warncke 1980).
​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.

Host associations

Pseudoanthidium alpinum has been observed as an oligolege of the Cardueae genus (Müller 1996).

Diagnostic characteristics

(Modified from Warncke 1980Warncke 1980:
Warncke, K. 1980. Die Bienengattung Anthidium Fabricius, 1804 in der Westpalaarktis und im turkestanischen Becken. Entomofauna 1: 119ndash;210.)

• Female clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  is densely punctured with a somewhat produced and denticulatedenticulate:
  a small tooth-like projection
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin.

• Female clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  and scutellumscutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  without maculations.

• Male clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  , paraocular areaparaocular area:
  the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
  , and scutellumscutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  without maculations.

• Male S5S5:
  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 laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  combs moderately wide.

May be confused with

Pseudoanthidium alpinum is most similar to P. canariense but can be differentiated by the finer punctures on the scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
and 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
when compared to the coarser and denser punctationpunctation:
overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
of P. canariense.

Nesting behavior

Little is known about the nesting biology of Pseudoanthidium alpinum, but most species of Pseudoanthidium nest in pre-existing cavities in wood, stems, galls, or crevices (Litman et al. 2021Litman et al. 2021:
Litman, J. R., Fateryga, A. V., Griswold, T. L., Aubert, M., Proshchalykin, M. Y., Le Divelec, R., Burrows, S. & Praz, C. J. 2022. Paraphyly and low levels of genetic divergence in morphologically distinct taxa: revision of the Pseudoanthidium scapulare complex of carder bees (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 195(4): 1287-1337.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.