Anthidium quetzalcoatli

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Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidium Fabricius, 1804
Subgenus: A. (Anthidium) Fabricius, 1804
Species: Anthidium quetzalcoatli Schwarz, 1933
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidium (Anthidium) quetzalcoatli are black with dark brown coloration on their antennae and femurs and yellow maculations. Females have white pubescence except for some yellow to brown hairs on the vertex, scutum, axilla, scutellum, and inner tarsi (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013). Females range in body length from 10.0–12.3 mm, and males range in length from 13.1–14.6 mm (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Gonzalez and Griswold 2013)

• Female basitarsi with outer surfaces covered by dense tomentum.
• Female labrum is basally elevated and lacks preapical projections.
• Female mandible is six-toothed.
• Female preoccipital ridge is carinate.
• Female propodeal triangle is dull and finely imbricate to lineolate.
• Female hind tibia with anterior carina present.
• Female T1–T5 depressed marginal zones have coarse punctures.
• Female T1–T5 discal areas are elevated with dull or weakly shiny and weakly imbricate areas between punctures.
• Female T1–T5 apical margins are thick and doubly carinate.
• Female T6 has a small but distinct lateral spine.
• Female T6 preapical carina is minutely crenulate.
• Male S4 apical margin is straight and lacks an apical brush.
• Male S6 with small, acute, laterally directed spines and an anteriorly curved spine medially.
• Male S8 has a short, weakly bifid apical process.
• Male T6 lateral spine is straight and about as long as T7 median spine.
• Male T7 lateral lobe is broad and subrectangular with a sinuous distal margin.

May be confused with

Anthidium quetzalcoatli can be differentiated from all Anthidium species in the U.S. by the carinate preoccipital ridge. Additionally, the shape of T6 in females and the shape of T7, S6, and S8 in males can be used to differentiate A. quetzalcoatli from other species (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Phenology

Anthidium quetzalcoatli adults have been recorded in flight from June to September (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Host associations

Anthidium quetzalcoatli is a specialist on Indigofera palmeri (Fabaceae) (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

Nesting behavior

Nesting behavior is unknown.

Distribution

Anthidium quetzalcoatli are found in southern Arizona (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013). In Mexico, they occur from Oaxaca to Sonora. They are primarily found in dry forests and occasionally in pine-oak forests (Gonzalez and Griswold 2013).

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