Taxonomy

Anthidium (Anthidium) manicatum

Distribution

Status

Conservation status

First sighted in County Wexford on 28th July 2015 (confirmed by a photograph). The species has been added to the Irish list following the collection of a specimen from New Ross on 7th August 2015. A third confirmed sighting was made of the species near Wexford town on 12th August 2015.

Species Biology

Identification

  • Very large solitary bee
  • Both males and females have a pattern of yellow markings down the sides of the abdomen, head and legs
  • The female collects pollen on hairs on the underside of the abdomen
  • Males will aggressively defend their territory and, unusually for bees, are considerably larger than the females

Habitat

Habitat associations, if any, are not yet known in Ireland. In Britain it is associated with flower rich habitats such as coastal cliffs and dunes, calcareous grassland, roadside verges. It also occurs in parks and gardens over much of England and Wales.

Flight period

Irish data not yet available. In Britain it flies in summer from June into early August.

Food plants

Polylectic, but females prefer to collect pollen from plants which have tubular flowers (such as the Mint family) or those where accessing the pollen and nectar is difficult (Pea family, Toadflax family).

Nesting biology

Nests in existing aerial cavities, such as holes in dead wood, crevices in the mortar joints of masonry, or in artificial sites such as cut bamboo canes. Females shave hairs off plant stems (such as Yarrow or Great Mullein) to use in the construction of brood cells. Hairs are brought to the nest site in a ball and teased out with the mandibles, earning it the common name of  'wool-carder bee'.

Distribution

World distribution(GBIF)

Temporal change

Records submitted to Data Centre in 2024

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