Anthidium chamelense

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium chamelense Gonzalez and Griswold, 2013
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) chamelense have an entirely, or almost entirely, black abdomen with an entirely yellow scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
and axillae (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 pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
with limited dark brown to black hairs on their clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
, supraclypeal areasupraclypeal area:
the region of the head between the antennal sockets and clypeus, demarcated on the sides by the subantennal sutures
, vertexvertex:
the area between the ocelli and the back of the head
, discdisc:
a generic term for the middle surface of a plate (usually in reference to an abdominal segment)
of the scutumscutum:
the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
, coxaecoxae:
the basal segment of the leg
, trochanters, outer mid basitarsusbasitarsus:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
, inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, 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
(except T6). Females range in body length from 16.2–20 mm. Males have the same color pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
as females, and range in body length from 18.5–21.5 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 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 with dense tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• Female clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  , supraclypeal areasupraclypeal area:
  the region of the head between the antennal sockets and clypeus, demarcated on the sides by the subantennal sutures
  , and fronsfrons:
  the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
  are covered with simple, stiff, and apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  curly or hooked hairs.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has 7–8 teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull and finely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• Female hind tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with anterioranterior:
  toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
  carina present.
• Female T1–T5 apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margins very weakly depressed.
• Female T1–T5 discal areas punctures are 1-2 puncture widths apart.
• Female T1–T5 integumentintegument:
  a tough, protective outer layer
  is shiny and nearly smooth between punctures.
• Female T1–T5 marginal area punctures are slightly closer together than those on the discal areas.
• 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
  have long, dense hairs.
• Male clypeusclypeus:
  a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
  slightly convexconvex:
  curved outward
  .
• Male hind coxaecoxae:
  the basal segment of the leg
  are ventrally depressed.
• Male hind femurs have basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  tubercles.
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  has low or absent basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances.
• Male mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  is elongate with three large teeth, sometimes with the upper mandibularmandibular:
  near the mandible
  separated by smaller teeth, which forms a 6– or 7– toothed mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  .
• 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
  distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin is slightly convexconvex:
  curved outward
  and lacks an apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush.
• 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
  is straight with long, acute laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  and median lobes.
• 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 small, ventrally curved, and sometimes hidden by hairs when viewed dorsally.
• 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
  median spine is blunt.

May be confused with

Anthidium chamelense may be confused with A. rodriguezi based on similar body coloration (black abdomen with a yellow scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
and axillae) and a body length greater than 16 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.). Female A. chamelense can be differentiated from A. rodriguezi based on the presence of a rounded laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
angle on 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 preapicalpreapical:
referring to a section of a bee that is physically found just before the outermost (or apical) end of the section or segment
carinacarina:
a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
with a semicircular 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
. Male A. chamelense can be differentiated from A. rodriguezi based on an acute laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
spine on 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 a blunt 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
(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 chamelense adults have been recorded in flight from July to November (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

Floral associations are unknown.

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Anthidium chamelense occur in Guerrero, Jalisco, and Oaxaca, Mexico. They are primarily found in dry and pine-oak forests (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.). None are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

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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.