metallic sweat bees
(Lasioglossum Subgenus Dialictus)
Overview • Description • Distribution • Taxonomy
Overview |
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Lasioglossum is a very large genus of bees. It has been divided into up to 24 subgenera, the exact number a matter of disagreement among experts. Dialictus is the subgenus known as metallic sweat bees. They occur in Europe, Asia, and the Americas, but are especially abundant in the United States and southern Canada. There are more than 630 species in the subgenus worldwide, about 200 species in North America north of Mexico, and at least 36 species in Minnesota. |
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Dialictus are some of the most abundant bees in backyard gardens. Females build nests, often in the ground or tree bark, separating individual egg cells with earthen walls. They nest close together, but they do not share communal activities, such as nest building and feeding the offspring. |
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Description |
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Dialictus are among the smallest bees in north America. Most, but not all, are shiny, metallic, gunmetal green. On the forewing the basal vein is strongly arched, and the veins near the wing tip are weak. Distinguishing individual species often involves examining under a microscope the density of the pits (punctures) on different parts of the body. |
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Distribution |
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| 12/24/2022 | ||||
Taxonomy |
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Order |
Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies) | ||
Suborder |
Apocrita (narrow-waisted wasps, ants, and bees) | ||
Infraorder |
Aculeata (ants, bees, and stinging wasps) | ||
Superfamily |
Apoidea (bees and apoid wasps) | ||
| Epifamily | Anthophila (bees) | ||
Family |
Halictidae (sweat bees) | ||
Subfamily |
Halictinae (sweat and furrow bees) | ||
Tribe |
Halictini | ||
| Genus | Lasioglossum | ||
Subordinate Taxa |
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Abanc’s sweat bee (Lasioglossum abanci) admirable sweat bee (Lasioglossum admirandum) anomalous sweat bee (Lasioglossum anomalum) black-and-green metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum nigroviride) bristle sweat bee (Lasioglossum imitatum) Bruner’s sweat bee (Lasioglossum bruneri) Cresson’s sweat bee (Lasioglossum cressonii) decorated sweat bee (Lasioglossum pictum) deep blue sweat bee (Lasioglossum coeruleum) densely punctured sweat bee (Lasioglossum perpunctatum) Dreisbach’s sweat bee (Lasioglossum dreisbachi) experienced sweat bee (Lasioglossum versatum) friendless sweat bee (Lasioglossum versans) hairy sweat bee (Lasioglossum pilosum) half-blue sweat bee (Lasioglossum semicaeruleum) hoary sweat bee (Lasioglossum pruinosum) horseshoe sweat bee (Lasioglossum illinoense) lineolated sweat bee (Lasioglossum lineatulum) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum apertum) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum basilicum) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum junaluskense) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum nymphale) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum orbitatum) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum rohweri) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum sandhouseae) metallic sweat bee (Lasioglossum unicum) oblong sweat bee (Lasioglossum oblongum) obscure sweat bee (Lasioglossum obscurum) very smooth sweat bee (Lasioglossum laevissimum) Viereck’s sweat bee (Lasioglossum vierecki) western green sweat bee (Lasioglossum subviridatum) white-haired golden sweat bee (Lasioglossum leucocomus) white-winged sweat bee (Lasioglossum albipenne) wide-mouthed sweat bee (Lasioglossum heterognathus) wide-shouldered sweat bee (Lasioglossum tegulare species group) zephyr sweat bee (Lasioglossum zephyrus) |
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Synonyms |
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Common Names |
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metallic sweat bees |
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Visitor Photos |
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Babette Kis |
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Lasioglossum Subgenus Dialictus (metallic sweat bee) Lasiogolssum subgenus dialictus, metallic sweat bee, on goldenrod flowers, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Sept. 25, 2022. |
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Alfredo Colon |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos |
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Slideshows |
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Visitor Videos |
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Other Videos |
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| Metallic Sweat Bees (Halictinae) Genus Lasioglossum, Subgenus Dialictus Bugging You From San Juan Island |
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About
Dec 11, 2022 These Metallic Sweat Bees (Halictinae) Genus Lasioglossum, Subgenus Dialictus were swarming above ground at my parents' house in Carrollton, TX - October 30, 2022. In review of my video and photos, there were also cleptoparasitic Sphecodes bees on the ground, so I'm wondering if the swarming was an alarm response to the presence of the Sphecodes bees. |
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| Metallic sweat bees (subgenus Dialictus) Ryan Whyte |
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About
Apr 1, 2022 Metallic sweat bees (subgenus Dialictus), video slowed 10-15x. Shot in my garden in Toronto in Summer of 2021 |
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| SWEAT BEE Lasioglossum (Dialictus) Rob Curtis |
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About
Jan 1, 2018 Lasioglossum Dialictus METALLIC SWEAT BEE visiting Goldenrod, encounters other insects much smaller and larger. Willow Springs, IL 11/1/2016. |
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Visitor Sightings |
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| Babette Kis 9/25/2022 |
Location: Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Lasiogolssum subgenus dialictus, metallic sweat bee, on goldenrod flowers, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Sept. 25, 2022. |
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| Alfredo Colon 8/2/2022 |
Location: Albany, NY |
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MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings |
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Created: 12/24/2022
Last Updated: