Halictidae

Halictidae
Halictus scabiosae - MHNT
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Halictidae
Thomson, 1869, nom. protect.
Subfamilies

Halictidae is the second-largest family of bees[1] (clade Anthophila) with nearly 4,500 species.[2] They are commonly called sweat bees (especially the smaller species), as they are often attracted to perspiration.[3][4] 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[4] except Antarctica.[5] 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.[4] 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[6] and is best distinguished by the arcuate (strongly curved) basal vein found on the wing.[7] Females in this family tend to be larger than the males.[6] They are the group for which the term 'eusocial' was first coined by entomologist, Suzanne Batra.

  1. ^ Danforth, Bryan N.; Cardinal, Sophie; Praz, Christophe; Almeida, Eduardo A.B.; Michez, Denis (2013). "The Impact of Molecular Data on Our Understanding of Bee Phylogeny and Evolution". Annual Review of Entomology. 58 (1): 57–78. doi:10.1146/annurev-ento-120811-153633. PMID 22934982.
  2. ^ "Bee Diversity". Museum of the Earth. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  3. ^ "Sweat Bees". Missouri Department of Conservation. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26.
  4. ^ a b c "Sweat bees". Florida Wildflower Foundation. 2017-08-15. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  5. ^ Bolt, Clay (16 June 2023). "Five myths about bees: The truth about these remarkable insects". World Wide Fund for Nature.
  6. ^ a b Hauze, Deena. "Halictidae (halictid bees, sweat bees)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2021-12-06.
  7. ^ "sweat bees, halictid bees". Featured Creatures. University of Florida Entomology and Nematology Department. Retrieved 21 September 2019.