Anthidium banningense

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium banningense Cockerell, 1904
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) banningense have reddish-brown to black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with ivory or yellow-colored 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.). They have white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
except for the limited brown hairs on the 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
, scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
, axillaaxilla:
the triangular or rounded point on the thorax where thoracic muscles meet the forewing of an insect
, inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, and center 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
. Females range in body length from 9.2–12.3 mm; males range in body length from 12.3–14.6 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.)

• Female hind basitarsusbasitarsus:
  the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
  is densely covered with white tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• Female hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  without anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  carina.
• Female labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  with large preapicalpreapical:
  referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
  projections that are curved upward .
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  with 6 teeth.
• Female 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
  densely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• 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
  with an acute laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  projection.
• 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
  with two brushes of dense, long, apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  , black hairs.
• 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
  laterally truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  , forming a sharp, acute laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  angle.
• 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
  median lobe is longer than broad.
• 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
  with a short apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  process that is apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  bifid.
• 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 slightly curved and longer than the median spine on 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
  .
• 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 digitiform and narrower at the base than in between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium banningense females can be recognized by combination of the long, acute laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
angles of 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 the dense punctures of 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
, punctures nearly contiguous on in the depressed marginal areas. Male A. banningense can easily be recognized by the digitiform 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 the obliquely truncatetruncate:
ending abruptly, or squared off
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
(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 banningense adults have been recorded in flight from May to August, with peak activity occurring in June and July (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 banningense is a generalist that prefers Phacelia. They have also been observed visiting a variety of species of Alliaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, 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.).

Nesting behavior

Anthidium banningense nest in the ground near their food sources (Jaycox 1967Jaycox 1967:
Jaycox, E.R. 1967. Territorial behavior among males of Anthidium banningense (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40: 565ndash;570.). Down-like plant materials from Artemisia and Cirsium are often used to line the nest (Jaycox 1967Jaycox 1967:
Jaycox, E.R. 1967. Territorial behavior among males of Anthidium banningense (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40: 565ndash;570.). Males exhibit territorial behavior. They maintain a territory within proximity to their preferred floral resource, Phacelia leucophylla (Jaycox 1967Jaycox 1967:
Jaycox, E.R. 1967. Territorial behavior among males of Anthidium banningense (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40: 565ndash;570.). Males patrol this territory, striking and chasing other male A. banningense away from the boundary of their territory (Jaycox 1967Jaycox 1967:
Jaycox, E.R. 1967. Territorial behavior among males of Anthidium banningense (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40: 565ndash;570.).

Distribution

Anthidium banningense occur throughout the intermountain region of the U.S. in Nevada, northern Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as well as montane California. They are commonly found in forests, woodlands, chaparral, and grasslands (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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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.

Jaycox, E.R. 1967. Territorial behavior among males of Anthidium banningense (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 40: 565-570.