Anthidium illustre
This record describes Anthidium illustre (species). Recorded family: Megachilidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
T-VII of males with a short, blunt center spine (Grigarick & Stange):
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Trigonaloidea
- Family
- Megachilidae (Leafcutter, Mason, and Resin Bees, and allies)
- Subfamily
- Megachilinae
- Tribe
- Anthidiini
- Genus
- Anthidium (Woolcarder Bees)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
w. US north to OR-ID, east to CO-NM Discover Life Map
Diet and Behavior
Diet: The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images.
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Anthidium illustre. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Anthidium illustre (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Hartmut Wisch; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , John S. Ascher , v belov , hg , PaleoJon
Frequently Asked Questions About Anthidium illustre
What is Anthidium illustre?
Anthidium illustre is a species in the family Megachilidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How do you identify Anthidium illustre?
T-VII of males with a short, blunt center spine (Grigarick & Stange):
Where is Anthidium illustre found?
Range: w. US north to OR-ID, east to CO-NM Discover Life Map
What does Anthidium illustre eat?
The diet of the Anthidium illustre includes The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images..