
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.

A Lasioglossum female visiting Zizia aurea.

wing
position
on flowers

N0. species in MN
84
size range

Phenology

Genus Characteristics

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

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

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

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

Lasioglossum achilleae

Lasioglossum acuminatum

Lasioglossum admirandum

Lasioglossum albipenne

Lasioglossum anomalum

Lasioglossum athabascense

Lasioglossum atwoodi

Lasioglossum birkmanni

Lasioglossum bruneri

Lasioglossum cattellae

Lasioglossum cinctipes

Lasioglossum coeruleum

Lasioglossum comagenense

Lasioglossum coreopsis

Lasioglossum coriaceum

Lasioglossum cressonii

Lasioglossum disparile

Lasioglossum dreisbachi

Lasioglossum ellisiae

Lasioglossum ephialtum

Lasioglossum floridanum

Lasioglossum foveolatum

Lasioglossum foxii

Lasioglossum gotham

Lasioglossum hartii

Lasioglossum heterognathus

Lasioglossum hitchensi

Lasioglossum illinoense

Lasioglossum imitatum
Lasioglossum inconditum

Lasioglossum izawsum

Lasioglossum katherineae

Lasioglossum laevissimum

Lasioglossum leucocomus

Lasioglossum leucozonium

Lasioglossum lineatulum

Lasioglossum lionotus

Lasioglossum lusorium

Lasioglossum lustrans

Lasioglossum macoupinense

Lasioglossum michiganense

Lasioglossum nelumbonis

Lasioglossum nigroviride

Lasioglossum novascotiae

Lasioglossum oblongum

Lasioglossum obscurum

Lasioglossum occidentale

Lasioglossum oceanicum

Lasioglossum paradmirandum

Lasioglossum paraforbesii

Lasioglossum pectinatum

Lasioglossum pectorale

Lasioglossum perpunctatum

Lasioglossum pictum

Lasioglossum pilosum

Lasioglossum planatum

Lasioglossum platyparius

Lasioglossum pruinosum

Lasioglossum quebecense

Lasioglossum rozeni

Lasioglossum rufulipes

Lasioglossum sagax

Lasioglossum seillean

Lasioglossum semicaeruleum

Lasioglossum smilacinae

Lasioglossum subversans

Lasioglossum subviridatum

Lasioglossum succinipenne

Lasioglossum swenki

Lasioglossum taylorae

Lasioglossum tegulare

Lasioglossum tenax

Lasioglossum testaceum

Lasioglossum texanum

Lasioglossum timothyi

Lasioglossum trigeminum

Lasioglossum truncatum

Lasioglossum versans

Lasioglossum versatum

Lasioglossum vierecki

Lasioglossum viridatum

Lasioglossum weemsi

Lasioglossum zephyrus

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.