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Family Halictidae - Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees

Representative Images

Sweat bee? - Agapostemon splendens Halictus bee? - Augochloropsis bee - Halictus tripartitus Black bee on Asclepias verticillata - Sphecodes heraclei Halictid - Augochlora pura Lasioglossum Halictidae, lateral - Lasioglossum - female Blood Bee - Sphecodes

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)

Explanation of Names

Halictidae Thomson 1869

Numbers

3 subfamilies, with ca. 520 spp. in 18 genera of 3 tribes in our area, >4,300 spp. in ~80 genera of 5 tribes worldwide(1)
Overview of our fauna (* –taxa not yet in the guide)
Family Halictidae
Subfamily HALICTINAE
Tribe Augochlorini Augochlora (subgenera Augochlora ▪ *Oxystoglossella), Augochlorella ▪ Augochloropsis (subgenus Paraugochloropsis), *Pseudaugochlora ▪ Temnosoma
Tribe Halictini Agapostemon (subgenera Agapostemon ▪ *Notagapostemon), Halictus (subgenera Nealictus ▪ Odontalictus ▪ Pachyceble ▪ Protohalictus ▪ Vestitohalictus), Lasioglossum (subgenera Dialictus ▪ Evylaeus ▪ Hemihalictus ▪ Lasioglossum ▪ Leuchalictus ▪ Sphecodogastra), Mexalictus ▪ Sphecodes
Subfamily NOMIINAE Dieunomia (subgenera Dieunomia ▪ Epinomia), Nomia (subgenus Acunomia)
Subfamily ROPHITINAE
Tribe Rophitini Conanthalictus ▪ Dufourea ▪ Micralictoides ▪ Protodufourea ▪ Sphecodosoma (subgenera *Michenerula ▪ Sphecodosoma), Xeralictus

Size

4‒11 mm

Identification

distinguished by the arcuate (curved) basal wing vein. Halictids have short tongues and one subantennal suture.(2)
Guide to eastern genera in(3)

OVERVIEW OF GENERA

Subfamily Halictinae

Tribe Augochlorini
Augochlora

Augochlorella

Augochloropsis


Tribe Halictini
Agapostemon - Metallic Green Bees

Halictus

Lasioglossum

Mexalictus

Sphecodes


Subfamily Nomiinae
Dieunomia

Nomia


Subfamily Rophitinae
Conanthalictus

Dufourea
♀ ♂
Micralictoides

Protodufourea

Sphecodosoma

Xeralictus

Life Cycle

Typically ground-nesters, with nests formed in clay soil, sandy banks of streams, etc. Most species are polylectic (collecting pollen from a variety of unrelated plants).

Remarks

A few species are attracted to sweat, and will sometimes sting if disturbed, though the sting is not very painful (4). Some are parasitic, especially Sphecodes spp.(5)

See Also

Chrysididae
metallic-green halictids superficially resemble cuckoo wasps (Chrysididae) but lack the ability to curl up in a ball.
Ceratina metalic green bees with the basal vein often slightly curved

Works Cited

1.Ascher J.S., Pickering J. (2024) 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.
3.Droege S. (2009) Identification of eastern North American bee genera in the family Halictidae
4.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
5.The Bees of the World, 2nd edition
Charles D. Michener. 2007. The Johns Hopkins University Press.
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Robin McLeod, anitagould, Ted Kropiewnicki, John S. Ascher, v belov, Marci Hess, PaleoJon, Nathaniel Green
Last updated 23 September, 2025 - 9:59am

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