European wool-carder bee
Anthidium manicatum
Bee
Solitary megachilid bee whose females scrape woolly plant hairs from lamb's ear, betony, and other fuzzy leaves to line brood cells in pre-existing cavities. Males defend flower patches aggressively, so a sunny clump of woolly Lamiaceae can become both a nesting-material stop and a tiny bee-territory theater.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
0 essential relationships / 3 supporting plants
Clustered bellflower
Supporting / Nectar plants
The European wool-carder bee, a solitary megachilid of sunny gardens across the bellflower’s native range, works open border flowers like these for nectar; males patrol such flower patches as territory.
Meadow crane's-bill
Supporting / Nectar plants
The European wool-carder bee, a generalist solitary megachilid active over the midsummer bloom, takes nectar and pollen from the open flowers within the shared European range; opportunistic foraging rather than a dependency.
Lamb's ear
Supporting / Shelter plants
European wool-carder bee females collect the woolly hairs from lamb's ear and other fuzzy Lamiaceae leaves to line brood cells in pre-existing cavities.
Plants in the catalog
Nectar plants · 2
The European wool-carder bee, a solitary megachilid of sunny gardens across the bellflower’s native range, works open border flowers like these for nectar; males patrol such flower patches as territory.
The European wool-carder bee, a generalist solitary megachilid active over the midsummer bloom, takes nectar and pollen from the open flowers within the shared European range; opportunistic foraging rather than a dependency.
Shelter plants · 1
European wool-carder bee females collect the woolly hairs from lamb's ear and other fuzzy Lamiaceae leaves to line brood cells in pre-existing cavities.
Range
Native to Europe, parts of Asia, and North Africa; introduced and now established in North America, parts of South America, New Zealand, and the Canary Islands.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife page. The source cards below show the upstream references behind the taxonomy, range, conservation, host, forage, and habitat claims.
Plotwright. (n.d.). European wool-carder bee (Anthidium manicatum). Retrieved 2026, June 27, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/anthidium-manicatum
Sources for wildlife facts
8 cited fact fields are backed by the source cards below.
Wikipedia: Anthidium manicatum
Corroborating reference for Old World origin, introduced range, wool-carding behavior, lamb's-ear/Stachys nesting material, and male territoriality.
Backs 5 fields
Taxonomy
Range
Nesting
Foraging
Garden habitat
BWARS: Anthidium manicatum
Regional bee-recording profile used as a second identity and flight-season cross-check.
Backs 3 fields
Taxonomy
Range
Lifecycle