Not all bees are yellow-black striped and fuzzy

In our area, we see several species of exquisite, small, shiny green halictid bees in the genus Agapostemon, and they are always delightful jewels to find in our pollinator-friendly garden.

They are ground-nesting, solitary bees. Even though several females sometimes share a single entrance, each has her own separate nest chamber underground, and the aggregation of nests can be dense in an area of sandy or relatively light soil.

The various local halictids we observe typically have a green metallic head and thorax, and females often continue that coloration to the abdomen, as well, whereas males have a darker abdomen with alternating yellow and green-to-black stripes. 

Like honey bees, these natives are excellent pollinators of a variety of plants, both indigenous and introduced.

With a nearly invisible nest-entry between the flagstones of our garden path, this tiny, less than ¼-inch-long gem paused for a moment on my husband’s hand before darting into the little doorway. Male or female: can you tell?

Halictids are in the family commonly called “sweat bees,” because they are attracted to salt as a nutrient.   Shouldn’t they be called something more beautiful, such as “emerald bees,” instead?