Images

A Lasioglossum with its weakened wing veins exhibiting a lovely hybrid cerulean, sky, molten blue with metallic notes offset with bright white hairs. From Redwoods National Park in California as part of a study of bees in vulnerable areas in Parks. Photograph by Brooke Alexander.

In the Badlands of South Dakota comes a red-butted Lasioglossum. Most have dark posteriors, but not this one, which means that identification is simplified. But, one must still untangle this species from the handful of other species with red on the abdomen. Its still a mystery to me how all these Lasioglossums carve up the floral space.

From Bryce Canyon National Park comes a small Lasioglossum, similar to many other species of this specious genus. Western in distribution I know actually nothing about its life. Picture by Brooke Alexander.

A very southern Lasioglossum, this one sneaking up the coast only about as far as this site on Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Another one of those metallic Lasioglossums in the Dialictus group....so similar until you look at them under the microscope ...where they continue to look so similar. It is a world of nuance to us, but somehow many Lasioglossum species evolve, do different things, partition the sexual universe and become species.

Another one of those metallic Lasioglossums in the Dialictus group....so similar until you look at them under the microscope ...where they continue to look so similar. It is a world of nuance to us, but somehow many Lasioglossum species evolve, do different things, partition the sexual universe and become species.

A very southern Lasioglossum, this one sneaking up the coast only about as far as this site on Cumberland Island National Seashore.

Nacogodoches County, texas, Big Thicket National Preserve

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Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, collected by Stephanie Wilson at the Morris Arboretum

Check out the large ocelli on this bad boy. This is Lasioglossum texanum, a dusk loving bee that is out late when the Oenothera (evening primroses) bloom. This is a male, and was found in South Dakota in Badlands National Park.

From Fossil Butte National Monument Wyoming...yet another Lasioglossum. Photo by Dejen Mengis.

From Fossil Butte National Monument Wyoming...yet another Lasioglossum. Photo by Dejen Mengis.

Lasioglossum versatum. One of the most common little sweat bees in the East. Particularly common in the cooler mid-latitudes. These bees can dominate the captures in surveys of bee species of a region. Something of a mess taxonomically.

One of the common Dialictus group Lasioglossum species, often involved in confusion among several similar species. This one collected by Tim McMahon in Cecil County Maryland

One of the common Dialictus group Lasioglossum species, often involved in confusion among several similar species. This one collected by Tim McMahon in Cecil County Maryland

Often the most common Lasioglossum at a location in the East. This is Lasioglossum versatum. While common it has the sad trait of sometimes looking like L. trigeminum or L. callidum or L. adimirandum. In isolation they all seem so separable, but since they often occur at the same site and have a tendency to look slightly similar it can be a nightmare.

A little golden bee, this is an easy to identify Lasioglossum vierecki...and most Lasioglossum species are not easy to identify. Gold butt and golden hair boom you know the species. Often found in sandy areas...this one from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan. Photo by Heagan Ahmed.

Lasioglossum zonulum "“ A male of this large, single weakened vein, northern species, one often confused with the very similar Lasioglossum leucozonium. Captured in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania and photographed by Brooke Alexander

Lasioglossum truncatum, Garrett County Maryland, July 2012

Beltsville, MD, May 2012