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Extracted from: Grigarick A.A., & Stange L.A., (1968). The Pollen Collecting Bees of the Anthidiini of California (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) Bulletin of the California Insect Survey Volume 9.
A. palliventre is a fairly large, black bee with narrow cream or pale yellow maculations. Elongate setae twice the width of the foretarsus immediately distinguish the females. The males are less easily separated, but the short, dark-reddish setal brush of sternum V and broadly curved lateral lobe of tergum VII (fig. 28), which is widely separated from the median lobe, will distinguish them. The shape of sternum VI (fig. 29) is similar to that four.d in emarginatum and allies.
The distribution of palliventre is exceptional. In California, the species is mostly confined to marine sand dune areas. However, specimens have beer, collected in the Great Basin, including some from Inyo County, California. The species is quite commonly collected as indicated by records of 293 males and 206 females.
Hicks (1928) observed female palliventre excavating their own nests in sand, using the foreleg ir. the digging. This is of considerable interest, not only because it is the only species known to excavate its own nest, but also because it is the only species where the females have a row of long setae on the forebasi-tarsus.
The survey showed palliventre to be associated with four plant families and most frequently of Phacelia of the Hydrophyllaceae, but plant association records are quite sparse in comparison with other species found in the same abundance. This may be attributed to the sandy costal habitat.
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