Author: Popov, 1950

Type species: Anthidium insulare Morawitz, 1873, by original designation.
Subgenera: Eoanthidium s.str Popov, 1950; Clistanthidium Michener & Griswold, 1994.
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
  • presence of arolium
  • carinate antennal fossa
  • female sternite 6 with preapical enlargement or spines
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Eoanthidium - Afranthidium, Anthidium, Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium
Eoanthidium species do have an arolium between their claws.
Anthidium, Afranthidium, Icteranthidium & Pseudoanthidium species don't have an arolium between their claws.
  • Eoanthidium - Rhodanthidium & Trachusa
Eoanthidium species have a carinate antennal fossa.
Rhodanthidium and Trachusa species don't have a carina at their antennal fossa.
  • Eoanthidium - Anthidiellum
Eoanthidium species have a rounded scutellum and are larger.
Anthidiellum species have a subrectangular, posteriorly extended scutellum and are much smaller.
  • Eoanthidium - Stelis
Eoanthidium species have rounded axillae, and females have a ventral scopa.
Stelis species have pointed axillae, females have no ventral scopa.
  • Eoanthidium - Melitturga
Eoanthidium 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 Eoanthidium species identification
Species have diagnostic characters on the genitalia which need to be extracted.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Eoanthidium. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 4 Eoanthidium species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al.  2023):
Eoanthidium (Eoanthidium) clypeare (Morawitz, 1874)
Eoanthidium (Eoanthidium) insulare (Morawitz, 1874)
Eoanthidium (Eoanthidium) nasiculum Pasteels, 1969
Eoanthidium (Eoanthidium) pasteelsi (Warncke, 1980)
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Warncke, K. 1980. Die Bienengattung Anthidium Fabricius, 1804 in der Westpaläarktis und im turkestanischen Becken. Entomofauna 1(10): 119-210.
Online resources:
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2023)
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Ghisbain, G., Rosa, P., Bogusch, P., Flaminio, S., Le Divelec, R., Dorchin, A., Kasparek, M., Kuhlmann, M., Litman, J., Mignot, M., Müller, A., Praz, C., Radchenko, V.G., Rasmont, P., Risch, S., Roberts, S.P.M., Smit, J., Wood, T.J., Michez, D. & Reverte, S. (2023). The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Zootaxa, 5327(1), 1-147.
  • 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.