Share

Social Web	E-mail
Delicious Digg Facebook Google Yahoo Technorati	Your Email: * Your Name: * Send To: * Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas. You are going to email the following: Augochlora Message Subject: (Your Name) has forwarded a page to you from The Great Sunflower Project Message Body: (Your Name) thought you would like to see this page from the The Great Sunflower Project web site. Your Personal Message: *
Augochlora Augochlora – sweat bees (family Halictidae) By Lisa Schonberg and Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society) and Gretchen LeBuhn (SFSU) Genus summary: Augochlora is a genus of 113 species that are limited to the New World (Michener 2000). Only 4 species are found in the U.S., and one of these occurs in New York State (Danforth & Magnacca 2002). Augochlora do not live in deserts (Michener 1994). Augochlora are in the tribe Halictini, which also includes Halictus and Lasioglossum. These genera are commonly called “sweat bees” because they are attracted to human sweat, which they drink for its salt content. Nesting habits: Most Augochlora spp. make solitary nests in the ground or in rotting wood. However, some ground-nesting species exhibit some social behavior and have division of labor with a worker caste (Eickwort & Eickwort 1973, Michener 2000). Diagnostic characteristics: Augochlora are black, bright green, blue or brass-colored. They are small to medium, and between 0.2 to 0.4 inches long (Michener 2000). Augochlora pura is the more commonly seen species in the U.S.; it is metallic green and occurs from the New World Tropics north to southern Oregon (Stephen et al.1969). Similar taxa: Species in the genus Agapostemon appear similar to the metallic green species Augochlora pura. However, the Agapostemon male has yellow and black-banded abdomen whereas Augochlora does not (Stephen et al. 1969). Known conservation concerns: Interesting fact: Additional resources: ‹ Anthophora up Bumble bees › Login or register to post comments

Augochlora – sweat bees (family Halictidae)
By Lisa Schonberg and Mace Vaughan (Xerces Society) and Gretchen LeBuhn (SFSU)

Genus summary: Augochlora is a genus of 113 species that are limited to the New World (Michener 2000). Only 4 species are found in the U.S., and one of these occurs in New York State (Danforth & Magnacca 2002). Augochlora do not live in deserts (Michener 1994). Augochlora are in the tribe Halictini, which also includes Halictus and Lasioglossum. These genera are commonly called “sweat bees” because they are attracted to human sweat, which they drink for its salt content.

Nesting habits: Most Augochlora spp. make solitary nests in the ground or in rotting wood. However, some ground-nesting species exhibit some social behavior and have division of labor with a worker caste (Eickwort & Eickwort 1973, Michener 2000).

Diagnostic characteristics: Augochlora are black, bright green, blue or brass-colored. They are small to medium, and between 0.2 to 0.4 inches long (Michener 2000). Augochlora pura is the more commonly seen species in the U.S.; it is metallic green and occurs from the New World Tropics north to southern Oregon (Stephen et al.1969).
Similar taxa: Species in the genus Agapostemon appear similar to the metallic green species Augochlora pura. However, the Agapostemon male has yellow and black-banded abdomen whereas Augochlora does not (Stephen et al. 1969).
Known conservation concerns:
Interesting fact:
Additional resources:

The Great Sunflower Project

User login

Navigation

Augochlora