Anthidium labergei

Taxonomy

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

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) labergei are dark brown to black with yellow 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.). The outer surface of the mandiblemandible:
bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
, paraocular areaparaocular area:
the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
, and clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
are black with dispersed yellow spots. Females have white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, except for the yellow hairs found 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
, axillaaxilla:
the triangular or rounded point on the thorax where thoracic muscles meet the forewing of an insect
, scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
, and inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
. Females range in body length from 6.5–10.3 mm, and males range in body length from 9.2–10.5 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 labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  lacks basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances and has 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 upwards.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has five teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is shiny and finely imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  to lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  .
• 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 T1–T5 discal areas are elevated, slightly shiny, and weakly imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  between the punctures.
• 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
  is straight in profile with a slightly swollen discdisc:
  a generic term for the middle surface of a plate (usually in reference to an abdominal segment)
  and lacks laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines.
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  preapical projections are larger than that in females.
• 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 median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush of short, dark brown to black hairs.
• 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is concave medially.
• 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
  laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobe is absent.
• 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
  distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin is laterally thick with a small, apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  notched median lobe.
• Male S7S7:
  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 notched on the apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin.
• 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
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  margin is pointed and is hooked in profile.
• 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 as long as the 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.
• 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
  lobes are apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  rounded.

May be confused with

Female A. labergei may be confused with A. collectum due to the lack of an anterioranterior:
toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
carina on the hind tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
, presence of basitarsibasitarsi:
the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
covered with dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
, white sternal scopascopa:
modified hairs for carrying pollen; often branched and dense hairs on the hind-leg, or on the ventral surface of the abdomen in Megachilidae
, and dull 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
with somewhat dense punctationpunctation:
overall pattern of the punctures on a surface of a bee, includes size of punctures and the distance between them
(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. labergei and A. collectum can be differentiated from one another by the paraocular areaparaocular area:
the area extending along the sides of the face parallel to the eye
with reduced or absent maculations, and overall finer punctations 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
in A. labergei (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.). Male A. labergei may be confused with A. palmarum due to the shape 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
and shape of the apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
process on 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
(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.). Male A. labergei can be differentiated from A. palmarum by the broad, rounded shape of the laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
lobe 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
, 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 median apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin more concave, S7S7:
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
hemisternite with a notched distaldistal:
place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
margin, and a hooked apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
process on 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
(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 labergei adults have been recorded in flight from April to early May (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 labergei is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Brassicaceae, and Malvaceae (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

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Anthidium labergei occur in the U.S. throughout southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, and western Texas (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.). In Mexico, they are found in northern Sonora where their distribution is restricted to the Chihuahuan and Sonoran Desert ecoregions (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.