Anthodioctes

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Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthodioctes Holmburg, 1903
Subgenera: Anthodioctes, Bothranthidium
Common name: none

Overview

Anthodioctes are small, slender, coarsely punctate bees that range in body length from 4.5–10.5 mm. They typically have black integument with limited yellow or no maculations on the face, thorax, and T1 to T2, and complete yellow-colored bands on apical terga (Michener 2007).

Diversity

Anthodioctes contains 58 species worldwide (ITIS 2017); none are known to occur in the U.S. or Canada.

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007)

• Arolia present.
• Juxtantennal carina present.
• Propodeum basal area with a strong row of pits delimited by a posterior carina.
• Propodeum with fovea defined by a carina behind spiracle present.
• Preoccipital ridge pronounced carina behind eye extending down to join posterior end of hypostomal carina.
• Terga lacking lateral spines.
• T1 with raised carina between anterior and dorsal surfaces (Fig 5).
• Scutoscutellar suture forming two strong foveae with smooth bottoms (Fig 4).
• Female tarsal claws bifid.
• Male T7 is small and bilobed.

May be confused with

Anthodioctes may be confused with Hypanthidioides due to similar external characters; however, Anthodioctes differs from Hypanthidioides in the presence of the preoccipital carina and fovea between the scutum and scutellum (Michener 2007).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Nesting behavior

Anthodioctes are solitary bees which nest in preexisting cavities. Nest linings, partitions, and closures may be comprised of collected resin as shown for A. lunatus (Camarotti-de-Lima and Martins 2005). Resin can be mixed with wood particles as in A. moratoi (Morato 2001), or other debris such as sand, wood, or paper as in A. megachiloides (Alves-dos-Santos 2004). Nests may consist of multiple cells arranged in a linear series with partitions also made of resin (Morato 2001). Anthodioctes manauara uses the abandoned nests of potter and mason wasps (Eumeninae), which sculpt mud into various pot-like and tubular-shaped nests (Morato 2001; Alves-dos-Santos 2010). Anthodioctes megachiloides has also been found nesting inside abandoned Vespidae wasp clay nests (Alves-dos-Santos 2010). Fungi, the cleptoparasite Sapyga, and the parasitoid Mellitobia (Eulophidae) have been found in Anthodioctes nests (Alves-dos-Santos 2003, 2004; Camarotti-de-Lima and Martins 2005).

Distribution

Anthodioctes are restricted to the Western Hemisphere and are Neotropical in distribution, ranging from Chihuahua in northern Mexico south to Buenos Aires, Argentina (Michener 2007).

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