Author: Michener, 1948

Type species: Anthidium limbiferum Morawitz, 1875, by original designation.
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Megachilidae
SubF: Megachilinae
Tribe: Anthidiini
Distinctive traits
  • black and yellow cuticle
  • 2 submarginal cells
  • 2nd recurrent vein reaching beyond submarginal cell 2.
  • females with ventral scopa
  • absence of arolium
  • pronotal lobe with enlarged translucent lamella
  • female mandible with 4 faint teeth
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Icteranthidium - Anthidium, Afranthidium & Pseudoanthidium
Icteranthidium species have pointed axillae
Anthidium, Afranthidium & Pseudoanthidium species have rounded axillae.
  • Icteranthidium - Anthidiellum, Eoanthidium, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa
Icteranthidium species don't have an arolium between their claws.
Anthidiellum, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa species have an arolium between their claws.
  • Icteranthidium - Stelis
Icteranthidium species have a pronotal lobe with a translucent lamella, and females have a ventral scopa.
Stelis species have no translucent lamella above the pronotal lobe, and females have no ventral scopa.
  • Icteranthidium - Melitturga
Icteranthidium 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 Icteranthidium 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 Icteranthidium. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 4 Icteranthidium species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023):
Icteranthidium cimbiciforme (Smith, 1854)
Icteranthidium ferrugineum (Fabricius, 1787)
Icteranthidium grohmanni (Spinola, 1838)
Icteranthidium laterale (Latreille, 1809)
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.