Anthidioma

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Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidioma Pasteels, 1984
Subgenera: none
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidioma females are medium-sized black bees with a stocky build that range in body length from 8–13 mm. They have abundant long grey to white hairs and no maculations on their thorax or abdomen (Michener 2007). They are not commonly found. Males of this genus are unknown (Michener 2007).

Diversity

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007)

• Abdomen with abundant long hairs.
• Abdomen without apical hair bands.
• Arolia absent.
• Middle tibia with one spine.
• Omaulus not carinate.
• Preoccipital carina absent.
• Propodeum with basal area hairless except laterally.
• Stigma less than twice as long as broad.
• Terga without impunctate margins.
• T1 without raised carina where the anterior and dorsal faces meet.
• Female tarsal claws bifid.

May be confused with

Anthidioma is most similar morphologically to Afranthidium and Pseudoanthidium, however, they differ in the lack of hair on the propodeum and the absence of yellow maculations (Michener 2007).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Floral associations of Anthidioma are largely unknown; however, a single specimen of Anthidioma was observed on Fabaceae (Gess and Gess 2007).

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown. However, Anthidioma is in the series of wool carder bees, so they likely use plant materials to build cotton-lined nest cells rather than using resin.

Distribution

Anthidioma only occurs in western Cape Providence, South Africa, and Namibia (Michener 2007).

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