Images

The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them?

As we to document the many species of bees that exist in North America, And worldwide, we realize that quite a few of them look like the species, Lasioglossum abundipuntum. The reason is there are many different species of Lasioglossum and they all look about the same, with difficult characters that vary in subtle ways to torment those who have to identify them.

The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them?

Cape Cod National Seashore....Lasioglossum accuminatum, one of the large black Lasioglossum speciesCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Cape Cod National Seashore....Lasioglossum accuminatum, one of the large black Lasioglossum speciesCanon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile

Denny Johnson from Eau Claire County in Wisconsin provided this specimen. Another Lasioglossum and one that was until recently cleared up by Jason Gibbs involved in thousands of misidentifications...many by myself.

Denny Johnson from Eau Claire County in Wisconsin provided this specimen. Another Lasioglossum and one that was until recently cleared up by Jason Gibbs involved in thousands of misidentifications...many by myself.

A tricky to identify small sweat bee. Many are identified and there are decades of incorrect keys, murky specimen selection in collections, and even now that Jason Gibbs has provided good clear descriptions they still are so close to other species that ID is not trivial.

Denny Johnson from Eau Claire County in Wisconsin provided this specimen. Another Lasioglossum and one that was until recently cleared up by Jason Gibbs involved in thousands of misidentifications...many by myself.

A couple of unprocessed French bees. This is Lasioglossum albipes. One of the most well studied non bumble non honey bees. Sarah Kocher lent these to us from her many studies, so we could picturate them. While they are your basic brown sweat bee thing, upclose there is a charm in how they are put together. At least I am charmed, that is.

This is one of the common European sweat bees, collected in France by Sarah Kocher. The subject of a number of studies that investigates the relationship between geographic location and this bee's level of eusociality (coloniality).

Lasioglossum albipes, Polysocial Hairy-tongued Bee, specimen collected in FranceBecause of the very well known biology of Honey Bees some may believe that all bees have complex social lives. However, very few of the more than 20,000 species of bees discovered actually has a complex social life.

A couple of unprocessed French bees. This is Lasioglossum albipes. One of the most well studied non bumble non honey bees. Sarah Kocher lent these to us from her many studies, so we could picturate them. While they are your basic brown sweat bee thing, upclose there is a charm in how they are put together. At least I am charmed, that is.

Even more Lasioglossum specimens, this one Lasioglossum albohirum, also from the fantastic be world of Fossil Butte National Monument in Wyoming. Photographed by Brooke Alexander. Photography Information: Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200.

Lasioglossum birkmani, Big Thicket National Preserve

Lasioglossum birkmanni, female, Big Thicket National Preserve, Texas

New Hampshire...The White Mountains...Mount Washington....at the very top is tundra a small remnant of what was more extensive in the cold post glacial times and still harbors arctic species like this Lasioglossum boreale. At this point this is the only location that has had this species in New England.

New Hampshire...The White Mountains...Mount Washington....at the very top is tundra a small remnant of what was more extensive in the cold post glacial times and still harbors arctic species like this Lasioglossum boreale. At this point this is the only location that has had this species in New England.

New Hampshire...The White Mountains...Mount Washington....at the very top is tundra a small remnant of what was more extensive in the cold post glacial times and still harbors arctic species like this Lasioglossum boreale. At this point this is the only location that has had this species in New England.

Lasioglossum brunneiventre. Small, long head, found in the Mojave National Preserve in studies of sandy areas in National Parks. Photographs by Brooke Alexander.

Lasioglossum brunneiventre. Small, long head, found in the Mojave National Preserve in studies of sandy areas in National Parks. Photographs by Brooke Alexander.