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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees (Halictidae) » Sweat and Furrow Bees (Halictinae) » Halictini » Striped Sweat Bees (Agapostemon)

Genus Agapostemon - Striped Sweat Bees

Augochloropsis? - Agapostemon sericeus - female Another halictid - Agapostemon splendens - female Metallic green bee - Agapostemon splendens - male Green Metallic Bee - Agapostemon melliventris - female Probably A. virescens - Agapostemon virescens - male Metallic Green Bee - Agapostemon virescens - female Agapostemon sp. Male? - Agapostemon angelicus - male Green metallic bee - Agapostemon - male
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)
No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)
Family Halictidae (Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees)
Subfamily Halictinae (Sweat and Furrow Bees)
Tribe Halictini
Genus Agapostemon (Striped Sweat Bees)
Other Common Names
metallic green bees [not preferred because it applies equally well if not better to the augochlorine sweat bees]
Explanation of Names
Agapostemon Guérin-Méneville, 1844
Numbers
14 spp. in 2 subgenera in our area, 44 spp. in 2 subgenera worldwide/total(1)
Identification
Differentiated from other metallic green bees, tribe Augochlorini by: Posterior face of propodeum completely encircled by a salient rim; hind tibiae equaling or exceeding their tarsi in length (Discover Life)

Males are easier to ID because they have strongly black-and-yellow striped abdomen such as in this photo . Females can be differentiated from Augochlorini tribe by the raised ridge encircling the propodeum as shown in Bee Diversity
(2)
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OVERVIEW OF SPECIES

Species angelicus - Agapostemon angelicus
♀      ♂

Species coloradinus - Agapostemon coloradinus
Image needed

Species femoratus - Agapostemon femoratus
♂

Species melliventris - Agapostemon melliventris
♀      ♂

Species nasutus - Agapostemon nasutus
Image needed

Species obliquus - Agapostemon obliquus
♀      ♂

Species sericeus - Agapostemon sericeus
♀      ♂

Species splendens - Agapostemon splendens
♀      ♂

Species texanus - Agapostemon texanus
♀      ♂

Species tyleri - Agapostemon tyleri
♀      ♂

Species virescens - Agapostemon virescens
♀      ♂
Range
New World (transcontinental, so. Canada to Argentina: map)(1)
Remarks
only A. splendens, A. texanus, and (as of 2022) A. poeyi occur in FL (A. virescens records have not been confirmed) (Janjic & Packer 2003, Bugguide.net data)
Print References
Janjic J., Packer L. (2003). Phylogeny of the bee genus Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Systematic Entomology 28(1): 101–124. (Abstract)
Roberts, R.B. (1969). Biology of the bee genus Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 48:689-71. (Full Text)
Roberts, R.B. (1972). Revision of the bee genus Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Univ. Kansas Sci. Bull., 49(9):437-590. (Full Text)
Roberts, R.B. (1973). Bees of northwestern America: Agapostemon (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Agricultural Experiment Station, Oregon State University, Technical Bulletin 125: 1–23. (Full Text)
Internet References
Discover Life
Works Cited
1.Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2017) Discover Life bee species guide and world checklist (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila)
2.The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees.
Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia J. Messinger Carril. 2015. Princeton University Press.
Contributed by Tony DiTerlizzi on 16 October, 2004 - 3:28pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, john and jane balaban, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, John S. Ascher, Aaron Schusteff, v belov, Chuck Sexton, KenW, Marci Hess, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 25 March, 2024 - 9:32am

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