Anthidiellum

Taxonomy

Family: Megachilidae
Subfamily: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Genus: Anthidiellum Cockerell, 1904
Subgenera: Ananthidiellum, Anthidiellum, Chloranthidiellum, Clypanthidium, Loyolanthidium, Pycnanthidium, Ranthidiellum
Common name: none

Overview

Anthidiellum is a widespread genus of stocky, robust bees, often with the scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
produced as broad, truncatetruncate:
ending abruptly, or squared off
lamellalamella:
thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
that overhangs the metanotummetanotum:
the posterior dorsal segment of the thorax, behind the scutellum
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). They are generally small bees that range in body length from 5–10 mm (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.). They have black integumentintegument:
a tough, protective outer layer
with varying amounts of yellow, orange, cream, or red maculations on their head, thorax, and abdomen (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diversity

Anthidiellum contains over 60 described species with multiple species being undescribed. Three species from 1 subgenus, A. (Loyolanthidium), are common in the U.S. (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Diagnostic characteristics

(modified from Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.)

• Arolia present.
• Middle tibiatibia:
  the segment of the leg, between the femur and the tarsus
  with one apicalapical:
  near or at the apex or end of any structure
  spine.
• Omaular carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  strong, often lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  .
• Pronotal lobe pronotal lobe:
  a part of the pronotum located dorsally on the posterior margin of the pronotum and overlaps the anterior thoracic spiracle
  carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  or lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  .
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  basalbasal:
  originating at the foundation of a structure
  area with strong pits or posterior carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  a present only laterally.
• Propodeum propodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  with foveafovea:
  a depressed region of cuticle; in bees this depressed area is usually only very slightly hollow and usually on the face.
  defined by a carinacarina:
  a clearly defined ridge or keel, not necessarily high or acute; usually appears on bees as simply a raised line
  behind spiraclespiracle:
  a breathing pore, usually occurring on the third thorasic segment
  present.
• Scutellum scutellum:
  shield shaped plate behind scutum
  is carinatecarinate:
  having keels or carinae
  or lamellatelamellate:
  thin, plate-like, often somewhat translucent structure
  , produced, truncatetruncate:
  ending abruptly, or squared off
  , or with a medial emarginationemargination:
  a notched or cut out place in an edge or margin, can be dramatic or simply a subtle inward departure from the general curve or line of the margin or structure being described
  in dorsaldorsal:
  in general, the upper surface
  view and overhanging propodeumpropodeum:
  the last segment of the thorax
  in laterallateral:
  relating, pertaining, or attached to the side
  view.
• Scutoscutellar suturesuture:
  a groove marking the line of fusion of two distinct plates on the body or face of a bee
  not forming two distinct foveaefoveae:
  a depressed region of cuticle; in bees this depressed area is usually only very slightly hollow and usually on the face.
  .
• Scutum scutum:
  the large segment on top of the thorax located between the wings and behind the head
  distinctly wider than long.
• Subantennal suture subantennal suture:
  the groove extending from each antennal socket down to the epistomal suture
  long and usually arcuatearcuate:
  curved like a bow
  outward towards the compound eye.
• 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
  without a raised impunctateimpunctate:
  marked with punctures or pits
  median ridge.

May be confused with

North American Anthidiellum can be distinguished from other pollen collecting anthidiines by the combination of aroliaarolia:
the cushion-like pad between the tarsal claws found at the ends of some bees' legs
present, distinctly arcuatearcuate:
curved like a bow
subantennal sutures, and the produced, truncatetruncate:
ending abruptly, or squared off
scutellumscutellum:
shield shaped plate behind scutum
that overhangs the metanotummetanotum:
the posterior dorsal segment of the thorax, behind the scutellum
(Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

Known invasives

There are no known invasives.

Host associations

Little is known about the floral resources utilized by Anthidiellum. The North American species appear to be generalists, but some species may prefer Asteraceae (Wilson and Carril 2016Wilson and Carril 2016:
Wilson, J.S. and O.M. Carril. 2016. The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North Americarsquo;s Bees. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 288 pp.).

Nesting behavior

Anthidiellum are solitary bees that primarily build aerial nests on twigs, branches, and rocks out of resin (Schwarz 1928Schwarz 1928:
Schwarz, H.F. 1928. Bees of the subfamily Anthidiinae, including some new species and varieties, and some new locality records. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 36: 369ndash;419.; Grigarick and Stange 1968Grigarick and Stange 1968:
Grigarick, A.A. and L.A. Stange. 1968. Pollen collecting bees of the Anthidiini of California (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae). Bulletin of the California Insect Survey 9: 1ndash;113.; Soh et al. 2016Soh et al. 2016:
Soh, E.J.Y., Z.W.W. Soh, S.X. Chui, and J.S. Ascher. 2016. The bee tribe Anthidiini in Singapore (Anthophila: Megachilidae: Anthidiini) with notes on the regional fauna. Nature in Singapore 9: 49ndash;62.). Anthidiellum (Loyolanthidium) notatum has been observed building nests on crevices of palmetto fronds or hanging from pine needles (Schwarz 1928Schwarz 1928:
Schwarz, H.F. 1928. Bees of the subfamily Anthidiinae, including some new species and varieties, and some new locality records. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 36: 369ndash;419.). Anthidiellum (Pycnanthidium) smithii smithii has been observed in trap nests and line and cap nests. Nest partitions are comprised of resin and an unidentifiable “whitish gummy substance,” presumably a plant gum (Krombein and Norden 2001Krombein and Norden 2001:
Krombein, K.V. and B.B. Norden. 2001. Notes on trap-nesting Sri Lankan wasps and bees (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Sphecidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 103: 274ndash;281.). In contrast to building aerial nests, members of the subgenus Ranthidiellum excavate subterranean nests in soil. These nests are lined with resin (Pasteels 1972Pasteels 1972:
Pasteels, J.J. 1972. Reacute;vision des Anthidiinae (Hymenoptera Apoidea) de la reacute;gion Indo-malaise. Bulletin et Annuales de la socieacute;teacute; Royale Belge drsquo;Entomologie 108: 72ndash;128., Pasteels 1977Pasteels 1977:
Pasteels, J.J. 1977. Une revue comparative de lrsquo;eacute;thologie des Anthidiinae nidificateurs de lrsquo;ancien monde. Annales de la Socieacute;teacute; Entomologique de France 13: 651ndash;667.). Two North American Anthidiellum species, A. notatum and A. perplexum, mate where females are foraging on flowers (Turell 1976Turell 1976:
Turell, M.J. 1976. Observations on the mating behavior of Anthidiellum notatum and Anthidiellum perplexum . The Florida Entomologist 59: 55ndash;61.).

Distribution

Anthidiellum has a global distribution being found on all continents except Antarctica. Many of the subgenera within Anthidiellum have distinct ranges (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

• Ananthidiellum occurs in Malaysia and northeast India (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Anthidiellum sensu stricto is widespread ranging from Europe as far north as Finland to Central Asia, India, and Eritrea in East Africa; however, it is best represented in the Mediterranean basin (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Chloranthidiellum ranges from Kenya to Zimbabwe (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Clypanthidium occurs in Malaysia (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Loyolanthidium is the only subgenus in the New WorldNew World:
  the Western Hemisphere; especially the continental landmass of North and South America
  , and can be found from British Columbia and Ontario, Canada reaching south to Bolivia and Brazil (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Pycanthidium can be found throughout sub-Saharan Africa as well parts of Asia (India, Indonesia, and the Philippines), New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and Australia (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).
• Ranthidiellum occurs on the Southeast Asian islands of Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo (Michener 2007Michener 2007:
  Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.).

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

References

Grigarick, A.A. and L.A. Stange. 1968. The pollen-collecting bees of the Anthidiini of California. Bulletin of the Missouri Botanical Garden 86: 373-406.

Krombein, K.V. and B.B. Norden. 2001. Notes on trap-nesting Sri Lankan wasps and bees (Hymenoptera: Vespidae, Pompilidae, Sphecidae, Colletidae, Megachilidae). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 103: 274-281.

Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World (2nd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore and London, 953 pp.

Pasteels, J.J. 1972. Révision des Anthidiinae (Hymenoptera Apoidea) de la région Indo-malaise. Bulletin et Annuales de la société Royale Belge d’Entomologie 108: 72–128.

Pasteels, J.J. 1977. Une revue comparative de l’éthologie des Anthidiinae nidificateurs de l’ancien monde. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 13: 651–667.

Schwarz, H.F. 1928. Bees of the subfamily Anthidiinae, including some new species and varieties, and some new locality records. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 36: 369-419.

Soh, E.J.Y., Z.W.W. Soh, S.X. Chui, and J.S. Ascher. 2016. The bee tribe Anthidiini in Singapore (Anthophila: Megachilidae: Anthidiini) with notes on the regional fauna. Nature in Singapore 9: 49-62.

Turell, M.J. 1976. Observations on the mating behavior of Anthidiellum notatum and Anthidiellum perplexum. The Florida Entomologist 59: 55-61

Wilson, J.S. and O.M. Carril. 2016. The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America’s Bees. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 288 pp.