Indanthidium

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Indanthidium Michener and Griswold, 1994
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Indanthidium are small bees ranging in length from 6–7.5 mm. They have black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with yellow maculations and abdominal bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
, which are divided into four spots on most 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
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Indanthidium contains 1 species, I. crenulaticauda (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener and Griswold 1994Griswold 1994:
Griswold, T.L. 1994. A review of the Ochreriades . Pan-pacific Entomologist 70: 318ndash;321. unless otherwise stated)

• Arolia absent.
• Juxtantennal carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  absent.
• Maxillary palpus maxillary palpus:
  one of the pair of jointed, sensory structures carried on the maxilla of the mouth parts
  is a single segment (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Omaulus omaulus:
  angle between anterior and lateral surfaces of mesepisternum
  lacking carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• Preoccipital ridge preoccipital ridge:
  the carina that dorsolaterally surrounds the back of the head
  lacking carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  .
• Pronotal lobe pronotal lobe:
  a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
  carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  or lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  .
• Stigma stigma:
  a pigmented/ thickened spot on the costal margin of the forewing, usually at the end of the radius(Greek, stigma= mark)
  less than twice as broad as long (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Subantennal sutures distinctly arcuatearcuate:
  curved like a bow
  .
• T5 with marginal zone depressed and punctured (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Male S1S1:
  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 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
  are not modified and lack combs (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• 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
  is as broad as 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
  , and has median and laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines with smaller teeth in between the spines (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

May be confused with

Indanthidium may be confused with Anthidium due to their similar coloration: yellow abdominal bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
are divided into four spots in both genera. Indanthidium can be differentiated by the punctured depressed marginal zone of T5T5:
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
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). Indanthidium may also be confused with Pseudoanthidium due to similar arcuatearcuate:
curved like a bow
subantennal sutures; however, they can be differentiated by the characteristics listed above (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Floral associations are unknown.

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Indanthidium is only known to occur in southern India.

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

References

Michener, C.D., and T.L. Griswold. 1994. The classification of old worldOld World:
the part of the world that was known before the discovery of the Americas, comprised of Europe, Asia, and Africa; the Eastern Hemisphere
Anthidiini. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 55:299-327.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World. 2nd ed. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.