Author: Friese, 1898

Type species: Anthidium limbiferum Morawitz, 1875, by original designation.
Subgenera: Exanthidium Pasteels, 1969; Pseudoanthidium s.str. Friese, 1898; Royanthidium Pasteels, 1969.
Synonyms: Paranthidiellum Michener, 1948; Trachusa (Orientotrachusa) Gupta, 1993; Reanthidium Pasteels, 1969
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
  • subantennal sutures outwardly arcuate
  • rounded axillae produced, their apex separated from the scutellum
Pictures of distinctive traits.
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them
  • Pseudoanthidium - Anthidium, Afranthidium & Icteranthidium
Pseudoanthidium species have rounded but produced axillae, their apex separated from the scutellum
Anthidium, Afranthidium & Icteranthidium species have axillae pointed or not produced away from the scutellum.
  • Pseudoanthidium - Anthidiellum, Eoanthidium, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa
Pseudoanthidium species don't have an arolium between their claws.
Anthidiellum, Rhodanthidium & Trachusa species have an arolium between their claws.
  • Pseudoanthidium - Stelis
Pseudoanthidium species have rounded axillae, males have one apical tooth (sometimes bifid) on their anterior and median tibiae and females have a ventral scopa.
Stelis species may have pointed axillae, males have two widely separated apical teeth on their anterior and median tibiae and females have no ventral scopa.
  • Pseudoanthidium - Melitturga
Pseudoanthidium 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 scopa.
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 scopa.
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 Pseudoanthidium. 
Please check the reference(s) below for traditional keys.
List of the 9 Pseudoanthidium species found in Europe (IUCN 2014 + Rasmont et al 2017):
Pseudoanthidium (Exanthidium) eximium Giraud, 1863
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) alpinum Morawitz 1874
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) canariense (Mavromoustakis, 1954)
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) cribratum (Morawitz, 1875)
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) nanum (Mocsáry, 1881)
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) scapulare (Latreille, 1809)
Pseudoanthidium (Pseudoanthidium) tenellum (Mocsáry, 1881)
Pseudoanthidium (Royanthidium) melanurum (Klug 1832)
Pseudoanthidium (Royanthidium) reticulatum (Mocsary, 1884)
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:
Atlas hymenoptera (Belgium)
BWARS (UK)
Exotic Bee ID (World)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
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.