Anthidium psoraleae

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium psoraleae Robertson, 1902
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) psoraleae are dark brown to black with yellow or cream-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.). Females have white pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
except for the yellow to brown hairs found on the inner tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
. Females have a body length of 11.5 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.). Males lack dense tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
on the scapescape:
the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
and range in body length from 12–13.8 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 clypeal hairs are simple and apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  curved.
• Female fore and mid 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 sparse tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• Female labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  lacks a basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberance and has two large pre-apical projections that are curved upwards.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has 7–8 similarly sized teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is shiny and weakly lineolatelineolate:
  marked with fine lines
  .
• Female scapescape:
  the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
  is covered with dense 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 T1–T5 discal area is elevated, slightly shiny, slightly imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  , and smooth between 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
  distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin has a narrow, emarginateemarginate:
  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
  median projection, and the laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  margin is slightly convexconvex:
  curved outward
  with small laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  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
  is elevated along the midline and has 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
  that is slightly crenulatecrenulate:
  having a finely scalloped or notched outline or edge
  .
• Male labrumlabrum:
  part of the head abutting the clypeus, folds down in front of the mouthparts
  lacks distinct basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances.
• Male scapescape:
  the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
  lacks dense tomentumtomentum:
  a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
  .
• 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
  median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush is indistinct and consists of thick, reddish-brown hairs that can be difficult to see among the other hairs on the sternasterna:
  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
  .
• 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 narrowly 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
  lacks distinct laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  lobes, and the median lobe is large, subrectangular, and broad at the apexapex:
  end of any structure
  , which is notched medially.
• 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 rounded.
• 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
  has a sinuous distaldistal:
  place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
  margin.
• 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 curved and is 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 broad and has an acute inner angle that is 1.5 times broader than the distance between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium psoraleae may be confused with A. clypeodentatumdue to the presence of short, white tomentumtomentum:
a form of pubescence composed of short matted, woolly hair
on the antennal scapescape:
the basal, and usually the longest, segment of the antennae
in females, the medial projection 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
in females, and a broad, 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
with a sharp, angled inner margin in males (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. psoraleae can be differentiated from A. clypeodentatumby the lack of a dentate or tuberculate distaldistal:
place on a segment that is furthest from the place of attachment with the body
margin and the presence of small laterallateral:
relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
spines 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
(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. psoraleae can be differentiated from A. clypeodentatum by the subrectangular median 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 psoraleae adults have been recorded in flight from June to 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 psoraleae is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Campanulaceae, Fabaceae, and Verbenaceae (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 psoraleae occur from Mexico to Southern Canada. Most specimens have been collected in the central U.S. from Colorado to Indiana but specimens have been reported as far east as Massachusetts (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.; Discover Life 2018Discover Life 2018:
Discover Life. 2018. Anthidium (Gulanthidium) . Discover Life. https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20p?see=Gulanthidiumamp;name=Anthidiumamp;flags=subgenus:amp;mobile=1). They are primarily found in forests 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

Discover Life. 2018. Anthidium psoraleae Robertson, 1902. Discover Life. http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?act=x_ant&path=Insecta/Hymenoptera/Apoidea/Megachilidae/Anthidium/psoraleae&name=Anthidium+psoraleae&authority=Robertson,+1902

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.