Anthidium multispinosum

Taxonomy

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

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) multispinosum are black with yellow maculations and reddish-brown coloration on the tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, 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
discdisc:
a generic term for the middle surface of a plate (usually in reference to an abdominal segment)
, laterally on 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 medially on 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.). Anthidium multispinosum have white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
except for brown to light ferruginousferruginous:
rust-colored
hairs on the inner hind tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
and centers of S3–S6. Anthidium multispinosum are only known from a single female specimen, which has a body length of 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
  is elevated basally and has two 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 curve 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 dull, and finely lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  to imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  .
• 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 weakly elevated, and finely lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  to imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  and weakly shiny between punctures .
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones have dense punctures.
• Female T2–T5 impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  zones are dull and narrow.
• 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
  distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin has four spinose projections.
• 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
  lacks a 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
  and depressed apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  rim.

May be confused with

Anthidium multispinosum can be easily distinguished from all Anthidium species in the U.S. by the four spines on the apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
margin 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 well-developed apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
spine on the outer surface of the mid tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
.

Phenology

Anthidium multispinosum adults have been recorded in flight in March (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 multispinosum is known from a single specimen from Durango, Mexico in the southern Chihuahuan Desert (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.

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

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.