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Anthidiellum boreale © Martin Lucas

Family Megachilidae > Genus Anthidiellum

Anthidiellum
Resin Bees

In Minnesota, there is one described species within the genus Anthidiellum—Anthidiellum boreale. This species was recently recorded in the state in 2022 by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources bee researchers. In 2024, it was observed in one other location visiting Monarda punctata in a sand prairie. Anthidiellum boreale constructs freeform oblong resin nests with mud or pebble additions, attached to vegetation. The nests are bottle- or vessel-shaped with a downward-facing "nect". Each nest usually contains one brood cell. This bee is robustly shaped but generally smaller than other species in the tribe Anthidini. It has a dark gray or black integument and yellow markings on the head, thorax, and abdomen. The legs and tegulae are red/orange. Both males and females are fast flyers.

 

Bees in the genus Anthidiellum have a curved subantennal suture, an arolium (pad between the front tarsal claws), and a scutellum that projects like a shelf over the propodeum. They range in length from 5 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 inches).

Anthidiellum boreale © Martin Lucas

Anthidiellum boreale visiting Monarda punctata.

 Anthidiellum boreale © Martin Lucas

wing
position
on flowers

Anthidiellum wing position on flowers

N0. species in MN

1

size range

Anthidiellum size range

Phenology

Anthidiellum phenology

Distribution

Minnesota

Anthidiellum boreale range map

Portman et al (2023)

Additional

record

Minnesota

Anthidiellum boreale regional range map

Regional Map

Anthidiellum boreale Wu, 2004 in GBIF Secretariat (2023). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-20.

Plant
Associations

Monarda punctata

(dotted horsemint)

Amorpha canescens

(leadplant)

Monarda punctata
Amorpha canescens

External Links

Explore More Megachilidae Genera

Note: Two genera/species on the state list are not included in this guide: Ashmeadiella bucconis (last seen in Minnesota in 1949) and Trachusa zebrata (last seen in Minnesota in 1939). If either of these species is rediscovered in the state, they will be added to the guide at that time.

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Citations and Further Reading

Droege, S., et al. (2024). The Very Handy Bee Manual: 2.0. How to Catch and Identify Bees and Manage a Collection.

Gibbs, J., Hanuschuk, E., Miller, R., Dubois, M., Martini, M., Robinson, S., ... & Onuferko, T. M. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Manitoba, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist, 155, e3.

Mitchell, T. B. (1960). Bees of the eastern United States. Technical Bulletin No. 141. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.


Packer, L., Genaro, J. A., & Sheffield, C. S. (2007). The bee genera of eastern Canada. 
Canadian Journal of Arthropod Identification, 3(3), 1-32.

Portman, Z. M., Gardner, J., Lane, I. G., Gerjets, N., Petersen, J. D., Ascher, J. S., ... & Cariveau, D. P. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota. Zootaxa, 5304(1), 1-95.

Wilson, J. S., & Messinger Carril, O. J. (2016). The bees in your backyard: a guide to North America's bees. Princeton University Press.
 

Page Photography Credits

Heather Holm
Joel Gardner
CC BY-ND-NC 1.0 (Melittidae)

Martin Lucas CC BY-ND-NC 4.0 (Anthidiellum)

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