Pseudoanthidium palestenicum

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Pseudoanthidium, Friese 1898
Subgenus: Pseudoanthidium, Friese 1898
Species: Pseudoanthidium palestinicum (Mavromoustakis, 1938)

Background

Pseudoanthidium palestinicum are relatively small, 6–9 mm bees. They have a predominantly black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with symmetrical yellow spots on their face, 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 scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
. Their legs are predominantly yellow to orange, sometimes with a small amount of black at the base. The size of the yellow portions varies within the species. They have a thin coat of white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
that covers most of their bodies. Their wings are translucent and sometimes slightly brown.

Distribution

Pseudoanthidium palestinicum are known from Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey (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.)

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

Host associations

Floral associations are unknown.

Diagnostic characteristics

(Modified from 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.)

• Female T1–T2 punctationpunctation:
  overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
  coarse, as large or larger than punctationpunctation:
  overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
  on scutumscutum:
  the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
  , with shiny interspaces.

• Male gonostylusgonostylus:
  the apical-most appendage of the male genitalia, which is usually quite hairy
  approximately 1.5x wider at widest point than at the base. Notch at the apexapex:
  end of any structure
  is narrow and deeper than it is wide.

• Male S3S3:
  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
  premarginal brush with strongly hooked hairs at the tips.

• Male S3S3:
  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 apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  hairless zone wide, and rounded laterally.

• Male laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  combs on 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
  large and somewhat chevron-shaped. 

• Male third trochantertrochanter:
  segment of the insect leg between the coxa and the femur
  dense and even in length but not velvety.

May be confused with

Pseudoanthidium palestinicum males are most similar to P. nanum and P. kaspareki but can be separated from these species by the large, chevron-shaped, laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
combs on 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
. Females are most similar to P. kaspareki but can be distinguished by the denser punctationpunctation:
overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
on the 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
.

Nesting behavior

Little is known about the nesting biology of Pseudoanthidium palestinicum but most species of Pseudoanthidium nest in pre-existing cavities like 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.