• Family: Megachilidae
• Approximate # species in region: 3
• Common name: wool-carder bees

Anthidium love gardens. Three species of these strongly-marked yellow and black bees have spread widely in the cities and suburbs of North America since being accidentally introduced from Europe in the 20^th century. Anthidium nest above ground, either in plant stems or in cavities in trees, walls, or even buildings. Although named for their habit of lining nests with cottony plant fibers that females scrape or “card” from leaves with fine mandibular teeth, Anthidium also use leaves, trichomes, and resin as construction materials.

Anthidium are some of the most common chunky black and yellow bees in our region, especially in disturbed and developed areas. Other common Anthidiine bees in the same habitats (e.g., Pseudoanthidium, Anthidiellum) are smaller and differ from Anthidium in their particular color patterns.

Regional Species List: