Anthidiellum Cockerell

Eardley, Connal, 2018, Taxonomic revision of the sub-Saharan Anthidiellum Cockerell (Apoidea: Megachilidae: Anthidiini), Zootaxa 4402 (2), pp. 201-250 : 203

Anthidiellum Cockerell

Dianthidium (Anthidiellum) COcKERELL 1904: 3. TyPE SPEcIES: Trachusa strigata PANZER, By ORIgINAL DESIgNAtION. Anthidiellum COcKERELL : ARMBUStER AND StEINER 1992: 310–312.

In all Anthidiellum the distal end of the mandibles, when closed, are more or less parallel with the long axis of the face, and Afrotropical species have three to four teeth. The subantennal suture is bowed outwards and the scutoscutellar suture is open and shiny. In males, the distal margin of the sixth tergum is suppressed and translucent. Pycnanthidium females have a unique wide hind basitarsus. In both sexes, the preoccipital carina is confined to the area behind the vertex. In Chloranthidiellum , it continues laterally to the malar area.

The males can be separated by the sterna. In females, however, colour seems to be the only separating character, and it is unreliable.