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Lasioglossum female

Family Halictidae > Genus Lasioglossum

Lasioglossum 
Small Sweat Bees

In Minnesota, there are eighty-four described species within the genus Lasioglossum. Most species in this genus nest in the ground except for four species that nest in pre-existing wood cavities. The sociality is broad in this genus with some species having a solitary nest and others a communal or eusocial nest. Social females mate in autumn then overwinter in the ground. Four Lasioglossum species are parasitic (cleptoparasitic) of other Lasioglossum species. Bees in this genus closely resemble Halictus but are generally smaller in size (especially the species that occur in the subgenus Dialictus). Also, Lasioglossum have basal hair bands (underneath the rims of the next previous tergite) on the abdominal tergites (segments), whereas Halictus have apical hair bands on the rims of the tergites.  

Lasioglossum can have a dark gray or black integument (less often blue) with either extensive metallic highlights or not. The forewing has either two or three submarginal cells and a strongly arched basal vein. Bees in this genus can be extremely small to small-medium 
and range in length from 2 to 12 mm (0.07 to 0.47 inches). Note: The vast majority of Lasioglossum species are very difficult to identify and can only be accurately identified with a microscope, and expert review and determination.

Lasioglossum female

Lasioglossum female visiting Zizia aurea.

Lasioglossum male

wing
position
on flowers

Lasioglossum wing position on flowers

N0. species in MN

84

size range

Lasioglossum size range

Phenology

Lasioglossum phenology

Genus Characteristics

Lasioglossum female

Basal hair fringes or bands on the abdominal tergites (segments) or occurring under the rim  (on the base) of the adjoining tergite.

Subgenus Lasioglossum

Female

Lasioglossum female

Subgenus Dialictus

Black, dark gray, bronze, (less often blue) integument; some species with red abdomen. Subgenus Dialictus with metallic highlights.

Female

Lasioglossum female

Females collect pollen on hind leg scopae located on the femora and tibiae.

Female

Lasioglossum male

Male with basal hair fringes or bands on tergites, linear form, and long antennae.

Male

Lasioglossum Species in Minnesota

Scientific Name
Likely Lecty
Host
Nest
Sociality
Lasioglossum achilleae
polylectic
Lasioglossum acuminatum
polylectic
Vaccinium (Arduser)
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum admirandum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum albipenne
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum anomalum
polylectic
Lasioglossum athabascense
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum atwoodi
Lasioglossum birkmanni
polylectic
Lasioglossum bruneri
polylectic
Lasioglossum cattellae
polylectic
Lasioglossum cinctipes
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum coeruleum
polylectic
Lasioglossum comagenense
polylectic
ground
communal
Lasioglossum coreopsis
polylectic
Lasioglossum coriaceum
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum cressonii
polylectic
wood
eusocial
Lasioglossum disparile
polylectic
Lasioglossum dreisbachi
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum ellisiae
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum ephialtum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum floridanum
polylectic
Lasioglossum foveolatum
Lasioglossum foxii
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum gotham
Lasioglossum hartii
polylectic
Lasioglossum heterognathus
Lasioglossum hitchensi
polylectic
Lasioglossum illinoense
polylectic
Lasioglossum imitatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum inconditum
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum izawsum
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Gibbs 2011)
parasitic
Lasioglossum katherineae
Lasioglossum laevissimum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum leucocomus
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum leucozonium
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum lineatulum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum lionotus
Lasioglossum lusorium
oligolectic
Onagraceae (Gibbs 2023)
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum lustrans
oligolectic
Pyrrhopappus, Krigia, Lactuca (Arduser)
Lasioglossum macoupinense
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum michiganense
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Gibbs 2023)
ground
parasitic
Lasioglossum nelumbonis
oligolectic
Nelumbo, Nuphar, Nymphaea (Robertson 1929) (Wilhelm & Rericha 2017)
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum nigroviride
polylectic
wood
eusocial
Lasioglossum novascotiae
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum oblongum
polylectic
wood
eusocial
Lasioglossum obscurum
polylectic
Lasioglossum occidentale
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum oceanicum
polylectic
Lasioglossum paradmirandum
polylectic
Lasioglossum paraforbesii
polylectic
Lasioglossum pectinatum
oligolectic
Physalis (Arduser)
Lasioglossum pectorale
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum perpunctatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum pictum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum pilosum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum planatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum platyparius
polylectic
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Gibbs 2011)
parasitic
Lasioglossum pruinosum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum quebecense
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum rozeni
polylectic
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) (Gibbs 2011)
parasitic
Lasioglossum rufulipes
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum sagax
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum seillean
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum semicaeruleum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum smilacinae
polylectic
Lasioglossum subversans
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum subviridatum
polylectic
wood
eusocial
Lasioglossum succinipenne
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum swenki
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum taylorae
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum tegulare
polylectic
Lasioglossum tenax
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum testaceum
polylectic
Lasioglossum texanum
narrow oligolectic
Oenothera (Arduser)
Lasioglossum timothyi
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum trigeminum
Lasioglossum truncatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum versans
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum versatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum vierecki
polylectic
ground
solitary
Lasioglossum viridatum
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum weemsi
polylectic
Lasioglossum zephyrus
polylectic
ground
eusocial
Lasioglossum zonulus
polylectic
ground
solitary

Source: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Minnesota Bee Species List (August 2023). 
https://files.dnr.state.mn.us/eco/mcbs/mn-statewide-bee-list.pdf

Distribution

LasioglossumAchilleae.png

Lasioglossum achilleae

LasioglossumAcuminatum.png

Lasioglossum acuminatum

LasioglossumAdmirandum.png

Lasioglossum admirandum

LasioglossumAlbipenne.png

Lasioglossum albipenne

LasioglossumAnomalum.png

Lasioglossum anomalum

LasioglossumAthabascense.png

Lasioglossum athabascense

LasioglossumAtwoodi.png

Lasioglossum atwoodi

LasioglossumBirkmanni.png

Lasioglossum birkmanni

LasioglossumBruneri.png

Lasioglossum bruneri

LasioglossumCattellae.png

Lasioglossum cattellae

LasioglossumCinctipes.png

Lasioglossum cinctipes

LasioglossumCoeruleum.png

Lasioglossum coeruleum

LasioglossumComagenense.png

Lasioglossum comagenense

LasioglossumCoreopsis.png

Lasioglossum coreopsis

LasioglossumCoriaceum.png

Lasioglossum coriaceum

LasioglossumCressonii.png

Lasioglossum cressonii

LasioglossumDisparile.png

Lasioglossum disparile

LasioglossumDreisbachi.png

Lasioglossum dreisbachi

LasioglossumEllisiae.png

Lasioglossum ellisiae

LasioglossumEphialtum.png

Lasioglossum ephialtum

LasioglossumFloridanum.png

Lasioglossum floridanum

LasioglossumFoveolatum.png

Lasioglossum foveolatum

LasioglossumFoxii.png

Lasioglossum foxii

LasioglossumGotham.png

Lasioglossum gotham

LasioglossumHartii.png

Lasioglossum hartii

LasioglossumHeterognathus.png

Lasioglossum heterognathus

LasioglossumHitchensi.png

Lasioglossum hitchensi

LasioglossumIllinoense.png

Lasioglossum illinoense

LasioglossumImitatum.png

Lasioglossum imitatum

LasioglossumInconditum.png

Lasioglossum inconditum

LasioglossumIzawsum.png

Lasioglossum izawsum

LasioglossumKatherineae.png

Lasioglossum katherineae

LasioglossumLaevissimum.png

Lasioglossum laevissimum

LasioglossumLeucocomus.png

Lasioglossum leucocomus

LasioglossumLeucozonium.png

Lasioglossum leucozonium

LasioglossumLineatulum.png

Lasioglossum lineatulum

LasioglossumLionotus.png

Lasioglossum lionotus

LasioglossumLusorium.png

Lasioglossum lusorium

LasioglossumLustrans.png

Lasioglossum lustrans

LasioglossumMacoupinense.png

Lasioglossum macoupinense

LasioglossumMichiganense.png

Lasioglossum michiganense

LasioglossumNelumbonis.png

Lasioglossum nelumbonis

LasioglossumNigroviride.png

Lasioglossum nigroviride

LasioglossumNovascotiae.png

Lasioglossum novascotiae

LasioglossumOblongum.png

Lasioglossum oblongum

LasioglossumObscurum.png

Lasioglossum obscurum

LasioglossumOccidentale.png

Lasioglossum occidentale

LasioglossumOceanicum.png

Lasioglossum oceanicum

LasioglossumParadmirandum.png

Lasioglossum paradmirandum

LasioglossumParaforbesii.png

Lasioglossum paraforbesii

LasioglossumPectinatum.png

Lasioglossum pectinatum

LasioglossumPectorale.png

Lasioglossum pectorale

LasioglossumPerpunctatum.png

Lasioglossum perpunctatum

LasioglossumPictum.png

Lasioglossum pictum

LasioglossumPilosum.png

Lasioglossum pilosum

LasioglossumPlanatum.png

Lasioglossum planatum

LasioglossumPlatyparius.png

Lasioglossum platyparius

LasioglossumPruinosum.png

Lasioglossum pruinosum

LasioglossumQuebecense.png

Lasioglossum quebecense

LasioglossumRozeni.png

Lasioglossum rozeni

LasioglossumRufulipes.png

Lasioglossum rufulipes

LasioglossumSagax.png

Lasioglossum sagax

LasioglossumSeillean.png

Lasioglossum seillean

LasioglossumSemicaeruleum.png

Lasioglossum semicaeruleum

LasioglossumSmilacinae.png

Lasioglossum smilacinae

LasioglossumSubversans.png

Lasioglossum subversans

LasioglossumSubviridatum.png

Lasioglossum subviridatum

LasioglossumSuccinipenne.png

Lasioglossum succinipenne

LasioglossumSwenki.png

Lasioglossum swenki

LasioglossumTaylorae.png

Lasioglossum taylorae

LasioglossumTegulare.png

Lasioglossum tegulare

LasioglossumTenax.png

Lasioglossum tenax

LasioglossumTestaceum.png

Lasioglossum testaceum

LasioglossumTexanum.png

Lasioglossum texanum

LasioglossumTimothyi.png

Lasioglossum timothyi

LasioglossumTrigeminum.png

Lasioglossum trigeminum

LasioglossumTruncatum.png

Lasioglossum truncatum

LasioglossumVersans.png

Lasioglossum versans

LasioglossumVersatum.png

Lasioglossum versatum

LasioglossumVierecki.png

Lasioglossum vierecki

LasioglossumViridatum.png

Lasioglossum viridatum

LasioglossumWeemsi.png

Lasioglossum weemsi

LasioglossumZephyrus.png

Lasioglossum zephyrus

LasioglossumZonulus.png

Lasioglossum zonulus

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Citations and Further Reading

Droege, S., et al. (2024). The Very Handy Bee Manual: 2.0. How to Catch and Identify Bees and Manage a Collection.

Gibbs, J., Hanuschuk, E., Miller, R., Dubois, M., Martini, M., Robinson, S., ... & Onuferko, T. M. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Manitoba, Canada. The Canadian Entomologist, 155, e3.

Mitchell, T. B. (1960). Bees of the eastern United States. Technical Bulletin No. 141. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station.

Portman, Z. M., Gardner, J., Lane, I. G., Gerjets, N., Petersen, J. D., Ascher, J. S., ... & Cariveau, D. P. (2023). A checklist of the bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) of Minnesota. Zootaxa, 5304(1), 1-95.


Wilson, J. S., & Messinger Carril, O. J. (2016). The bees in your backyard: a guide to North America's bees. Princeton University Press.
 

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