Carder bees

Definition

Bees that collect plant trichomes or animal hairs to line their nest cells; the term applies convergently to several unrelated lineages, most notably certain bumblebees (Bombus spp.) and wool carder bees (Anthidium spp., family Megachilidae). Carding behavior involves scraping fibers from leaves or stems, transporting them in a scopa or abdominal scopa, and packing them into pre-existing cavities or exposed cells to form a soft, insulating matrix for brood and food stores.

Etymology

From the verb 'to card' (to comb or tease fibers), originally a textile term describing the preparation of wool or flax; applied to bees by analogy to the scraping and gathering of fibrous material.

Example

The European wool carder bee Anthidium manicatum aggressively defends patches of woolly lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) against conspecifics and other flower visitors, using the dense leaf trichomes to construct brood cells in pre-existing beetle borings or hollow stems.

Synonyms

• wool carder bees

Related Terms

• scopa
• trichome
• nest provisioning
• Megachilidae
• Bombus
• cavity-nesting bees
• textile defense

Usage Notes

Not a monophyletic group; usage spans at least two families (Apidae, Megachilidae). In North America, 'carder bee' often refers specifically to Anthidium, whereas European usage traditionally emphasized Bombus pascuorum and allies. Distinguish from 'cutter bees' (Megachile spp. that excise leaf pieces) and 'mason bees' (Osmia spp. that use mud or chewed leaf pulp). Some authors restrict 'wool carder bee' to Anthidium and use 'carder bumblebee' for Bombus to clarify phylogenetic disparity.