Anthidium manicatum (Linnaeus)

Description.

Total length 11-12 mm in females and 14-18 mm in males, wing length 8-10 mm in females and 9,5-12 mm in males; wings dark, face and legs yellow, body black with yellow spots and bands, tergite 7 of males with five black spine-like extensions (Fig. 9 a–b).

Distinguishing features.

Both sexes with conspicuous yellow-black abdominal patterns; can be confused only with similar looking syrphid flies or species of wasps, especially the introduced Vespula germanica, but differs from all these taxa in flight behaviour and abdominal pollen collection (in females).

General distribution.

Eurasia, North Africa; introduced in the Canaries, North and South America, New Zealand.

Distribution in the Azores.

Faial, São Miguel.

First record.

1857 ( Drouët 1861).

Nesting.

In existing holes; cell walls and closing plugs are built out of plant fibres.

Social behaviour.

Solitary.

Foraging.

Polylectic; preference for Lamiaceae, where the females also collect plant hairs for their nest, observed on Lotus corniculatus ( Fabaceae).

Phenology.

July-September.

Material.

Faial (Horta), September 1952, 1 female (Carthy 1955, not seen). São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), July 1992, leg. Wirtz, det. Warncke (Wirtz 1994, not seen).