Numbers
~200 spp. in our area, ~600 spp. worldwide
(1)Identification
A key to the eastern species of subgenus dialictus can be found in Gibbs(2011)
Full Text HereRange
mostly holarctic and neotropical (a few spp. in SE Asia); in our area, all but 4 spp. in the US, 91 spp. in Canada
(1)Remarks
Extremely difficult to ID to species, even under the microscope. They are so morphologically monotonous that breaking them into species groups is only an option for some. Many species can only be IDed by the relative density of punctures on the surface of the bee.
However: "The limiting factor is resolution of the images. If we could clearly see antennal proportions and scutal sculpturing many species identifications would become possible." (Comment by John Ascher).
Male and female
Print References
Gibbs, J. 2010. Revision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus)in Canada (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Halictini). Zootaxa; 2591, 175-178.
(2)
Gibbs, J. 2011. Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini.) Zootaxa.
(3)
Gardner, J., & Gibbs, J. (2020). The ‘red-tailed’ Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) of the western Nearctic. European Journal of Taxonomy, 725(1), 1-242. (
Full Text Here)