Subgenus Lasioglossum

Two species native to the Palearctic, L. leucozonium and L. zonulum in the zonulum species group, have been removed to a separate subgenus Leuchalictus

"Curtis (1833), recognizing the heterogeneity of the genus Halictus Latreille, 1804, described the genus Lasioglossum to contain a new species having basal hair bands on the abdominal terga that contrasted with the apical hair bands of other Halictus species known to him. In his description of L. tricingulum, Curtis mentions that the labium is 'rather long lanceolate and very pubescent on the sides and at the back...,' hence the name Lasioglossum or 'hairy-tongue.' This is somewhat misleading in that the glossae of Lasioglossum species are no more hairy than those of other halictids."(1)

27 spp. in our area, 169 spp. total(2) [Note that these totals exclude 2 spp. in our area and 11 species total that have been removed to subgenus Leuchalictus]

A key to species can be found in McGinley, 1986(1)

holarctic (70% of spp. in Eurasia), also represented in the Neotropics (south to Panama); in our area, all 29 spp. (including two species recently removed to subgenus Leuchalictus) occur in the US and 16 range into Canada(2)

The females of some species have an acarinarium on the anterior face of the first metasomal tergite made by a glabrous area surrounded by a fringe of appressed hairs to which the mites cling.