Anthidium sonorense

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium sonorense Cockerell, 1923
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) sonorense are black with brown 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
discs, legs, tarsitarsi:
the group of segments at the end of the leg following the tibia
, and 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
, 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
, and a body length of 9.2–12.3 mm. Male pubescencepubescence:
short, fine hair
is longer and denser than that of females. Males range in body length from 11.0–12.3 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 basitarsibasitarsi:
  the segment of the tarsus that is the nearest to the body of the bee, usually the largest of all the tarsal segments
  with outer surface covered by dense 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 basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  protuberances 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
  projections.
• Female mandiblemandible:
  bee teeth, so to speak, usually crossed and folded in front of the mouth
  has 5–6 teeth.
• Female propodealpropodeal:
  the last segment of the thorax
  triangle is dull or weakly shiny, finely imbricateimbricate:
  overlapping, like shingles or roof tiles
  , and covered in sparse punctures.
• 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 apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  impunctate areas are dull or weakly shiny 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
  is straight with translucent 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 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
  with median apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  brush narrow, with sparse, reddish-brown hairs that can be difficult to distinguish from 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 straight 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
  with laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  spines that are ventrally directed and acute, and the median projection is anteriorly curved.
• 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 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 short, broad apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  process that is apicallyapically:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  notched.
• 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 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 triangular or subtriangular, and about as broad as the distance between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium sonorense may be confused with A. paroselaebecause they both have a shiny fronsfrons:
the area between the antennae and ocelli on the bee's head
, a carinacarina:
a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
on the anterioranterior:
toward the head or on the head side of a segment being described
margin of the hind tibiatibia:
the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
, and weakly raised tergal discs. Anthidium sonorense can be differentiated from A. paroselaefemales by the longer apicalapical:
near or at the apex or end of any structure
mandibular tooth, the presence of two submedian yellow bandsbands:
usually referring to bands of hair or bands of color that traverse across an abdominal segment
on the scutumscutum:
the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
, and the shape of 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
. Male A. sonorense can be differentiated from A. paroselae by the shapes 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
, 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
, and 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 sonorense adults have been recorded in flight from April to June, with with peak activity occurring from April to 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 sonorense is a generalist that has been observed visiting a variety of species within Aizoaceae, Fabaceae, 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

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Anthidium sonorense occur in southern California in the U.S. (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 occur in Baja California Sur, Baja California, and Sonora. They are found primarily in the Sonoran and Mojave Deserts, but are absent in the Chihuahuan Desert. They are mostly found below sea level (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.