Anthidium illustre

Cresson, 1879

Illustrated Woolcarder Bee

Anthidium illustre is a of wool carder bee in the Megachilidae. It is native to Middle America and North America. The species was first described by Cresson in 1879. Like other members of the Anthidium, females collect plant fibers to construct their nests.

Fragment of a Letter from Jean-Henri Fabre to his son by Jean-Henri Fabre . Used under a Public domain license.Anthidium illustre, m, left, Bray 1, CA 2019-03-21-12.13.04 ZS PMax UDR (48083464396) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.Anthidium illustre, m, face, Bray 1, CA 2019-03-21-15.14.20 ZS PMax UDR (48083462796) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Anthidium illustre: /ænˈθɪdiəm ɪˈlʌstri/

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Images

Distribution

Middle America and North America

Behavior

Females collect plant fibers (wool) from leaves to construct nests, a characteristic of wool carder bees in the Anthidium.

More Details

Nomenclatural History

Originally described as Callanthidium illustre by Cresson in 1879, later transferred to Anthidium. The synonym Anthidium serranum was described by Cockerell in 1904.

Sources and further reading