What visual feature is defining for male Anthidium manicatum?
Answer
Prominent, pale or white patches on the sides of their faces and abdominal segments.
Male Wool Carder Bees possess distinct visual markers that differentiate them clearly from the females, making them identifiable once their characteristics are known. Their most prominent identifying feature involves striking markings of pale or white coloration contrasting against their generally dark bodies. These white patches are specifically located on the lateral sides of the face and on several abdominal segments. These silver-white spots are so characteristic that seeing them is a very strong indicator of observing a male actively engaged in territorial defense, as they do not participate in pollen collection.

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