Anthidium paroselae

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium paroselae Cockerell, 1898
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) paroselae are black with light brown to ferruginousferruginous:
rust-colored
coloration on the antennal flagellumflagellum:
any segment of the antenna past the scape and pedicel
, tegulategula:
the usually oval, small shield-like structure carried at the extreme base of the wing where it attaches to the body
, trochantertrochanter:
segment of the insect leg between the coxa and the femur
, femurfemur:
the third segment of the leg, situated between the trochanter and the tibia
, and tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, and 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.). Females have white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
. The outer fore and 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
are covered by dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
. Females have a body length of 7.7–10.0 mm. Male pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
is longer and denser than that of females. Males range in body length from 8.2–12.3 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 basally elevated and lacks 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.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has seven teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull or weakly shiny and finely imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  .
• 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 discal areas are weakly elevated with dull or weakly shiny, finely imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  areas between fine, sparse punctures.
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones are finely punctatepunctate:
  studded with tiny holes
  .
• Female T1–T5 impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  zones are dull or weakly shiny and broad, about half of the width of the depressed marginal zone.
• 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
  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
  is translucent and minutely crenulatecrenulate:
  having a finely scalloped or notched outline or edge
  .
• 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 in straight 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
  with a small, laterally directed acute spine, and without a projected 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 apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  truncate.
• 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 weakly curved to straight, and about as long as 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
  lobe is apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  rounded or subtriangular, and about as broad as the distance between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium paroselae may be confused with A. rodeckiand A. sonorensedue to the combined entirely white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
, weakly convexconvex:
curved outward
clypeusclypeus:
a section of the face below the antennae, demarcated by the epistomal sutures
in profile with a straight distaldistal:
place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
margin, mostly yellow legs, dull or weakly shiny 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 complete integumental bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
, and tergal discs with fine and sparse punctures (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. paroselae can be differentiated from A. rodeckiand A. sonorensedue to the pointed apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
tooth on the mandiblemandible:
bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
and the shape 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
. Male A. paroselae can be differentiated from A. rodeckiand A. sonorenseby the absence of a median lobe on the margin 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
, the short median lobe and a broad distaldistal:
place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
margin of 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
, and the shape 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
(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 paroselae adults have been recorded in flight from late February to October, with peak activity occurring from April to the first half of June (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 paroselae is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Krameriaceae, Plantaginaceae, Polemoniaceae, Polygonaceae, Tamaricaceae, and Zygophyllaceae (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

A single Anthidium paroselae specimen was observed nesting in hard sand in the desert (Newberry and Cockerell 1900).

Distribution

Anthidium paroselae occur in U.S. in southern California, southern Arizona, southern New Mexico, western Texas, southern Nevada, and southwestern Utah. In Mexico, they are found in Baja California, Sonora, and Durango. They are restricted to the Mojave, Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Baja California Deserts (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.

Newberry, M. and T.D.A. Cockerell. 1900. Notes on the nesting of Anthidium paroselae (Ckll). Psyche 9: 94-95.