Author: Fabricius, 1804

Type species: Apis manicata Linnaeus, 1758, by designation of Latreille, 1810: 439.
Subgenera: Anthidium s.str Fabricius, 1804; Gulanthidium Pasteels, 1969; Proanthidium Friese, 1898.
Synonyms: Stenanthidium Moure, 1947; Tetranthidium Moure, 1947; Melanthidium Cockerell, 1947
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
SubF: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Distinctive traits
  • black and yellow or light brown cuticle
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • 2nd recurrent vein reaching beyond submarginal cell 2.
  • females with ventral scopa
  • absence of arolium
  • straight basal margin of the clypeus and subantennal sutures.
  • male tergite 7 with lateral spines
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Anthidium - Afranthidium
Anthidium species have a basal margin of the clypeus and subantennal suture straight.
Afranthidium species have a basal margin of the clypeus and subantennal sutures arched.
  • Anthidium - Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium
Anthidium species have rounded axilae, not produced, aligned with the scutellum.
Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium species have axilae pointed or produced, the apex separated from the scutellum.
  • Anthidium - Anthidiellum, Eoanthidium, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa
Anthidium species don't have an arolium between their claws.
Anthidiellum, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa species have an arolium between their claws.
  • Anthidium - Stelis
Anthidium species have rounded axillae, and females have a ventral scopa.
Stelis species have pointed axillae, females have no ventral scopa.
  • Anthidium - Melitturga
Anthidium species have a pointed marginal cell, a second recurrent vein anteriorly connecting after the second submarginal cell, males have normal eyes and females have a ventral brush.
Melitturga species have a truncated marginal cell, a second recurrent vein anteriorly connecting at the second submarginal cell, males with enlarged eyes and females without a ventral brush
General comments on Anthidium species identification
Species can be distinguished based on lateral ornaments on metasomal tergites and mandible characters, easier to see when mandibles are open.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Anthidium. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 17 Anthidium species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Anthidium (Anthidium) caspicum Morawitz, 1880
Anthidium (Anthidium) cingulatum Latreille, 1809
Anthidium (Anthidium) dalmaticum Mocsáry, 1884
Anthidium (Anthidium) diadema Latreille, 1809
Anthidium (Anthidium) florentinum (Fabricius, 1775)
Anthidium (Anthidium) loti Perris, 1852
Anthidium (Anthidium) manicatum (L., 1758)
Anthidium (Anthidium) montanum Morawitz, 1864
Anthidium (Anthidium) punctatum Latreille, 1809
Anthidium (Anthidium) septemspinosum Lepeletier, 1841
Anthidium (Anthidium) spiniventre Friese, 1899
Anthidium (Anthidium) taeniatum Latreille, 1809
Anthidium (Gulanthidium) rotundum Warncke, 1980
Anthidium (Proanthidium) oblongatum (Illiger, 1806)
Anthidium (Proanthidium) undulatiforme Friese, 1917
Anthidium (Proanthidium) undulatum Dours, 1873
Anthidium (Proanthidium) wustneii Mocsáry, 1887
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Amiet, F., Herrmann, M., Müller, A., & Neumeyer, R. (2004). Apidae 4: Anthidium, Chelostoma, Coelioxys, Dioxys, Heriades, Lithurgus, Megachile, Osmia, Stelis. Fauna Helvetica 9. Centre suisse de cartographie de la faune (CSCF), Neuchâtel 273pp.
  • Falk S.J. (2015) Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury wildlife guides. 432 p.
  • Warncke, K. 1980. Die Bienengattung Anthidium Fabricius, 1804 in der Westpaläarktis und im turkestanischen Becken. Entomofauna 1(10): 119-210.
Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (Belgium)
BWARS (UK)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Michez D., Rasmont P., Terzo, M., Vereecken, N. 2019. Abeilles d'Europes. Hymenoptères d'Europes, Volume 1. N.A.P. Editions.
  • Nieto, A., Roberts, S. P., Kemp, J., Rasmont, P., Kuhlmann, M., García Criado, M., ... & Michez, D. 2014. European red list of bees. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union, 98.
  •  Rasmont, P., Devalez, Jelle, Pauly, A., Michez, D. & Radchenko, V.G. 2017. Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 53: 17-32.