Anthidium banningense

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Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium banningense Cockerell, 1904
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) banningense have reddish-brown to black integument with ivory or yellow-colored maculations (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013). They have white pubescence except for the limited brown hairs on the vertex, scutum, scutellum, axilla, inner tarsi, and center of S6. Females range in body length from 9.2–12.3 mm; males range in body length from 12.3–14.6 mm (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Gonzalez and Griswold 2013)

• Female hind basitarsus is densely covered with white tomentum.
• Female hind tibia without anterior carina.
• Female labrum with large preapical projections that are curved upward .
• Female mandible with 6 teeth.
• Female terga densely punctate.
• Female T6 with an acute lateral projection.
• Male S4 with two brushes of dense, long, apical, black hairs.
• Male S6 laterally truncate, forming a sharp, acute lateral angle.
• Male S6 median lobe is longer than broad.
• Male S8 with a short apical process that is apically bifid.
• Male T6 lateral spine is slightly curved and longer than the median spine on T7.
• Male T7 lateral lobe is digitiform and narrower at the base than in between the inner margin and median spine.

May be confused with

Anthidium banningense females can be recognized by combination of the long, acute lateral angles of T6 and the dense punctures of the terga, punctures nearly contiguous on in the depressed marginal areas. Male A. banningense can easily be recognized by the digitiform lateral lobe of T7 and the obliquely truncate lateral lobe of S6 (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Phenology

Anthidium banningense adults have been recorded in flight from May to August, with peak activity occurring in June and July (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Host associations

Anthidium banningense is a generalist that prefers Phacelia. They have also been observed visiting a variety of species of Alliaceae, Asteraceae, Boraginaceae, Fabaceae, Onagraceae, Plantaginaceae, and Rosaceae (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Nesting behavior

Anthidium banningense nest in the ground near their food sources (Jaycox 1967). Down-like plant materials from Artemisia and Cirsium are often used to line the nest (Jaycox 1967). Males exhibit territorial behavior. They maintain a territory within proximity to their preferred floral resource, Phacelia leucophylla (Jaycox 1967). Males patrol this territory, striking and chasing other male A. banningense away from the boundary of their territory (Jaycox 1967).

Distribution

Anthidium banningense occur throughout the intermountain region of the U.S. in Nevada, northern Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, as well as montane California. They are commonly found in forests, woodlands, chaparral, and grasslands (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

​Distribution map generated by Discover Life -- click on map for details, credits, and terms of use.