Halictidae
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Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade
Anthophila Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfami ...
) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearance. These bees occur all over the world and are found on every continent except Antarctica. Usually dark-colored (frequently brown or black) and often metallic, halictids are found in various sizes, colors and patterns. Several species are all or partly green and a few are red, purple, or blue. A number of them have yellow markings, especially the males, which commonly have yellow faces, a pattern widespread among the various families of bees. The family is one of many with short tongues and is best distinguished by the arcuate (strongly curved) basal vein found on the wing. Females in this family tend to be larger than the males. They are commonly referred to as "sweat bees" (especially the smaller species), as they are often attracted to
perspiration Perspiration, also known as sweating, is the production of fluids secreted by the sweat glands in the skin of mammals. Two types of sweat glands can be found in humans: eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine sweat glands are distr ...
.


Ecology

Most halictids
nest A nest is a structure built for certain animals to hold eggs or young. Although nests are most closely associated with birds, members of all classes of vertebrates and some invertebrates construct nests. They may be composed of organic materi ...
in the ground, often in habitats like clay soil and river banks, though a few nest in wood. They mass-provision their young; a mass of pollen and nectar is formed inside a waterproof cell, an egg laid upon it, and the cell sealed off, so the larva is given all of its food at one time, as opposed to "progressive provisioning", where a larva is fed repeatedly as it grows, as in
honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosm ...
s. Some species line their tunnels with lactone secretions to help workers return to the nest. It is thought that each individual bee has its own unique chemical signature. All species (except for
kleptoparasite Kleptoparasitism (etymologically, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. The strategy is evolutionarily stable when stealing is less costly than direct feeding, which can mean when foo ...
s) are pollen feeders and may be important pollinators.


Eusocial species

Many species in the subfamily
Halictinae Within the insect order Hymenoptera, the Halictinae are the largest, most diverse, and most recently diverged of the four halictid subfamilies. They comprise over 2400 bee species belonging to the five taxonomic tribes Augochlorini, Thrinchosto ...
are
eusocial Eusociality (from Greek εὖ ''eu'' "good" and social), the highest level of organization of sociality, is defined by the following characteristics: cooperative brood care (including care of offspring from other individuals), overlapping gen ...
at least in part, such as ''
Lasioglossum malachurum ''Lasioglossum malachurum'', the sharp-collared furrow bee, is a small European halictid bee. This species is obligately eusocial, with queens and workers, though the differences between the castes are not nearly as extreme as in honey bees. Ea ...
'', with fairly well-defined queen and worker castes (though not the same as the caste system in
honey bee A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosm ...
s), and certain manifestations of their social behavior appear to be facultative in various lineages. The first group of offspring continues to build and protect the nest as well as gather food for a new brood of larvae. An impressive variety of social and nesting behaviors are exhibited by halictids including solitary, communal, semi-social and primitively eusocial. Different biotic and abiotic factors can even affect these behaviors such as floral resources, location, altitude, season, and climate. Those species who do not have a permanent, rigid, division of labor, such as ''
Lasioglossum zephyrus ''Lasioglossum zephyrus'' is a sweat bee of the family Halictidae, found in the U.S. and Canada. It appears in the literature primarily under the misspelling "''zephyrum''". It is considered a primitively eusocial bee (meaning that they do not h ...
'' or ''
Halictus rubicundus ''Halictus rubicundus'', the orange-legged furrow bee, is a species of sweat bee found throughout the Northern Hemisphere. ''H. rubicundus'' was introduced into North America from the Old World during one of two main invasions of ''Halictus'' s ...
'', are considered primitively eusocial. Another example of a primitive eusocial bee species from this family is ''
Halictus ligatus ''Halictus ligatus'' is a species of sweat bee from the family Halictidae, among the species that mine or burrow into the ground to create their nests. ''H. ligatus,'' like ''Lasioglossum zephyrus','' is a primitively eusocial bee species, in wh ...
'', for which aggression is one of the most influential behavioral attitudes for establishing hierarchy and social organization within the colony. Primitively eusocial species such as these provide insight into the early evolution of eusociality. ''
Halictus sexcinctus ''Halictus sexcinctus'', commonly referred to as the six-banded furrow bee, is a species of sweat bee found throughout Europe and as far east as Asian Turkey and Iraq.The ''H. sexcinctus'' can be easily confused with the closely related species, ...
'', which exhibits social, communal, and eusocial organization, provides insight into the evolutionary reversal of eusociality. Phylogenetic data from this species suggests that a communal strategy serves as a transitional step between eusociality and a reversion back to solitary nesting.


Kleptoparasitic species

Several genera and species of halictids are
kleptoparasite Kleptoparasitism (etymologically, parasitism by theft) is a form of feeding in which one animal deliberately takes food from another. The strategy is evolutionarily stable when stealing is less costly than direct feeding, which can mean when foo ...
s of other bees (mostly other halictids or bees of similar size), and the behavior has evolved at least nine times independently within the family. The most well-known and common are species in the genus ''
Sphecodes ''Sphecodes'' is a genus of bees from the family Halictidae, the majority of which are black and red in colour and are colloquially known as blood bees. ''Sphecodes'' bees are kleptoparasitic on other bees, especially bees in the genera ''Lasioglo ...
'', which are somewhat
wasp A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder. ...
-like in appearance (often shining black with blood-red abdomen- German: ''Blutbienen'' - usually 4–9 mm in body length); the female ''Sphecodes'' enters the cell with the provision mass, eats the host egg, and lays an egg of her own in its place.


"Nocturnal" species

Halictidae is one of the four bee families that contain some crepuscular species; these halictids are active only at dusk or in the early evening, so are technically considered "
vespertine ''Vespertine'' is the fourth studio album by Icelandic recording artist Björk. It was released on 27 August 2001 in the United Kingdom by One Little Independent Records and in the United States by Elektra Entertainment. Production on the album ...
" (e.g. in the subgenus ''Sphecodogastra'' of ''
Lasioglossum The sweat bee genus ''Lasioglossum'' is the largest of all bee genera, containing over 1700 species in numerous subgenera worldwide.Gibbs, J., et al. (2012)Phylogeny of halictine bees supports a shared origin of eusociality for ''Halictus'' and ...
''), or sometimes truly nocturnal (e.g. in the genus ''
Megalopta ''Megalopta'' is a widespread neotropical genus of bees in the tribe Augochlorini in family Halictidae, known as the sweat bees. They are the largest of the five nocturnal genera in Augochlorini. Most have pale integumentary pigmentation, and al ...
'', or species '' Megalopta genalis''). These bees, as is typical in such cases, have greatly enlarged
ocelli A simple eye (sometimes called a pigment pit) refers to a form of eye or an optical arrangement composed of a single lens and without an elaborate retina such as occurs in most vertebrates. In this sense "simple eye" is distinct from a multi-l ...
. The other families with some crepuscular species are
Andrenidae The Andrenidae (commonly known as mining bees) are a large, nearly cosmopolitan family of solitary, ground-nesting bees. Most of the family's diversity is located in temperate or arid areas (warm temperate xeric). It includes some enormous gener ...
,
Colletidae The Colletidae are a family of bees, and are often referred to collectively as plasterer bees or polyester bees, due to the method of smoothing the walls of their nest cells with secretions applied with their mouthparts; these secretions dry into ...
, and
Apidae Apidae is the largest family within the superfamily Apoidea, containing at least 5700 species of bees. The family includes some of the most commonly seen bees, including bumblebees and honey bees, but also includes stingless bees (also used for ...
.


Species of economic importance

Some species are important in the pollination of crops. Among these are the alkali bee, ''
Lasioglossum vierecki ''Lasioglossum vierecki'', also known as ''Dialictus vierecki'' and ''Halictus vierecki'',various contributors. 2015. Hymenoptera Online (HOL). nlineAvailable fro ccessed 22 September 2015/ref> is a sand sweat bee and is part of the family Hal ...
'' and ''
Lasioglossum leucozonium ''Lasioglossum leucozonium'' (Schrank, 1781), also known as ''Lasioglossum similis'', is a widespread solitary sweat bee found in North America, Europe, Asia, and parts of northern Africa. While now a common bee in North America, population gen ...
''. While some halictid species are
oligolege The term oligolecty is used in pollination ecology to refer to bees that exhibit a narrow, specialized preference for pollen sources, typically to a single family or genus of flowering plants. The preference may occasionally extend broadly to mu ...
s (e.g., '' Rophites algirus,'' which only visits the flowers of hedgenettle plants.), most are generalists making them potentially valuable overall pollinators.


Stinging

Only females have the ability to deliver a sting. Due to their non-aggressive nature, they are only likely to sting if disturbed; the sting is minor. The most common instances of stinging occur from swatting at or accidentally making contact with a halictid trying to get a lick of one's sweat.


Phylogeny

Halictidae belongs to the hymenopteran subclade
Aculeata Aculeata is a subclade of Hymenoptera containing ants, bees, and stinging wasps. The name is a reference to the defining feature of the group, which is the modification of the ovipositor into a stinger. However, many members of the group canno ...
(stinging Hymenoptera), superfamily
Apoidea The superfamily Apoidea is a major group within the Hymenoptera, which includes two traditionally recognized lineages, the " sphecoid" wasps, and the bees. Molecular phylogeny demonstrates that the bees arose from within the traditional " Crabroni ...
(bees and wasps), series
Anthophila Bees are winged insects closely related to wasps and ants, known for their roles in pollination and, in the case of the best-known bee species, the western honey bee, for producing honey. Bees are a monophyletic lineage within the superfami ...
(true bees). Fossils from this family are typically found in amber from the Baltic Region and the
Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
and imply that Halictidae have existed for between 96 and 75 million years. The oldest fossil record of Halictidae dates back to Early
Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...
with a number of species, such as '' Neocorynura electra'' and '' Augochlora leptoloba'' known from amber deposits. Currently, the family is divided into four subfamilies, many genera, and more than 2000 known species. Rophitinae appears to be the sister group to the remaining three subfamilies (Nomiinae, Nomioidinae,
Halictinae Within the insect order Hymenoptera, the Halictinae are the largest, most diverse, and most recently diverged of the four halictid subfamilies. They comprise over 2400 bee species belonging to the five taxonomic tribes Augochlorini, Thrinchosto ...
) based on both morphology and molecular data.


Classification

Subfamily
Rophitinae Rophitinae is a subfamily of sweat bees in the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearance. ...
: *'' Ceblurgus'' *''
Conanthalictus ''Conanthalictus'' is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are about 13 described species in ''Conanthalictus''.Sharkey M.J. (2007). ''Phylogeny and Classification of Hymenoptera''. Species * ''Conanthalictus bakeri'' Crawford, ...
'' *''
Dufourea ''Dufourea'' is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearance. T ...
'' *'' Goeletapis'' *''
Micralictoides ''Micralictoides'' is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appeara ...
'' *'' Morawitzella'' *'' Morawitzia'' *'' Penapis'' *''
Protodufourea ''Protodufourea'' is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearan ...
'' *'' Rophites'' *''
Sphecodosoma ''Sphecodosoma'' is a genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appearanc ...
'' *'' Systropha'' *'' Xeralictus'' Subfamily Nomiinae: *'' Dieunomia'' *'' Halictonomia'' *''
Lipotriches In biology, ''Lipotriches'' is a large genus of sweat bees in the family Halictidae, distributed widely throughout the Eastern Hemisphere though absent from Europe. There are nearly 200 species in 9 subgenera. They commonly have prominent bands o ...
'' *'' Mellitidia'' *'' Nomia'' *'' Pseudapis'' *'' Ptilonomia'' *'' Reepenia'' *'' Spatunomia'' *'' Sphegocephala'' *'' Steganomus'' Subfamily Nomioidinae: *'' Cellariella'' *'' Ceylalictus'' *'' Nomioides'' Subfamily
Halictinae Within the insect order Hymenoptera, the Halictinae are the largest, most diverse, and most recently diverged of the four halictid subfamilies. They comprise over 2400 bee species belonging to the five taxonomic tribes Augochlorini, Thrinchosto ...
:
Tribe Halictini *'' Agapostemon'' *'' Caenohalictus'' *'' Dinagapostemon'' *'' Echthralictus'' *'' Eupetersia'' *'' Glossodialictus'' *'' Habralictus'' *''
Halictus The genus ''Halictus'' is a large assemblage of bee species in the family Halictidae. The genus is divided into 15 subgenera, some of dubious monophyly, containing over 200 species, primarily in the Northern Hemisphere (a few species occur in So ...
'' *'' Homalictus'' *''
Lasioglossum The sweat bee genus ''Lasioglossum'' is the largest of all bee genera, containing over 1700 species in numerous subgenera worldwide.Gibbs, J., et al. (2012)Phylogeny of halictine bees supports a shared origin of eusociality for ''Halictus'' and ...
'' *'' Mexalictus'' *'' Microsphecodes'' *'' Nesosphecodes'' *'' Paragapostemon'' *'' Patellapis'' *'' Pseudagapostemon'' *'' Ptilocleptis'' *'' Rhinetula'' *'' Ruizantheda'' *''
Sphecodes ''Sphecodes'' is a genus of bees from the family Halictidae, the majority of which are black and red in colour and are colloquially known as blood bees. ''Sphecodes'' bees are kleptoparasitic on other bees, especially bees in the genera ''Lasioglo ...
'' *'' Thrincohalictus'' *'' Urohalictus'' Tribe Thrinchostomini *'' Parathrincostoma'' *'' Thrinchostoma'' Tribe Augochlorini *'' Andinaugochlora'' *'' Ariphanarthra'' *'' Augochlora'' *'' Augochlorella'' *'' Augochlorodes'' *'' Augochloropsis'' *'' Caenaugochlora'' *'' Chlerogas'' *'' Chlerogella'' *'' Chlerogelloides'' *'' Corynura'' *'' Halictillus'' *''
Ischnomelissa ''Ischnomelissa'' is a genus of bees belonging to the family Halictidae Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species. Halictid species are an extremely diverse group that can vary greatly in appea ...
'' *''
Megalopta ''Megalopta'' is a widespread neotropical genus of bees in the tribe Augochlorini in family Halictidae, known as the sweat bees. They are the largest of the five nocturnal genera in Augochlorini. Most have pale integumentary pigmentation, and al ...
'' *'' Megaloptidia'' *'' Megaloptilla'' *'' Megommation'' *'' Micrommation'' *'' Neocorynura'' *'' Paroxystoglossa'' *'' Pseudaugochlora'' *'' Rhectomia'' *'' Rhinocorynura'' *'' Temnosoma'' *'' Thectochlora'' *'' Xenochlora'' Unplaced fossil halictines: *†'' Eickwortapis'' *†'' Nesagapostemon'' *†'' Oligochlora''


References


External links


Family Halictidae
Large format diagnostic photos, information.
Everything About the Sweat Bee
- Description and photo of the sweat bee.
Image Gallery from Gembloux

BugGuide – Search: Halictidae
(North American species only).
Online identification guides for eastern North American Halictidae
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site {{Taxonbar, from=Q2276661 Bee families