metallic sweat bees

(Lasioglossum Subgenus Dialictus)

Overview
metallic sweat bee
Photo by Alfredo Colon
 

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.

 
 

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.

 
     
 
Description
 
 

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.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

24, 27, 29, 30, 72, 82.

 
  12/24/2022      
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

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

 
 

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)

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

 

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

metallic sweat bees

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
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Babette Kis

 
 

Lasioglossum Subgenus Dialictus (metallic sweat bee)

Lasiogolssum subgenus dialictus, metallic sweat bee, on goldenrod flowers, Barnes Prairie, Racine Co., WI Sept. 25, 2022.

  metallic sweat bee  
           
        metallic sweat bee  
 

Alfredo Colon

 
    metallic sweat bee      
           
 
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Other Videos
 
  Metallic Sweat Bees (Halictinae) Genus Lasioglossum, Subgenus Dialictus
Bugging You From San Juan Island
 
   
 
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.

 
  Metallic sweat bees (subgenus Dialictus)
Ryan Whyte
 
   
 
About

Apr 1, 2022

Metallic sweat bees (subgenus Dialictus), video slowed 10-15x. Shot in my garden in Toronto in Summer of 2021

 
  SWEAT BEE Lasioglossum (Dialictus)
Rob Curtis
 
   
 
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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  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.

metallic sweat bee

 
  Alfredo Colon
8/2/2022

Location: Albany, NY

metallic sweat bee

 
           
 
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Created: 12/24/2022

Last Updated:

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