Halictidae

Definition

A large family of bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea) comprising approximately 4,500 species, commonly known as sweat bees for their attraction to human perspiration. Members are typically small to medium-sized, often metallic (green, blue, purple, or bronze), with short tongues and a distinctive arcuate basal vein in the forewing. The family exhibits exceptional social diversity, ranging from solitary to primitively eusocial species; the term 'eusocial' was originally coined for this group based on studies of Halictus. Halictidae occurs on all continents except Antarctica and includes economically important pollinators and common genera such as Lasioglossum, Halictus, and Sphecodes.

Etymology

From Halictus (type genus, Greek haliktos 'sea-salt' or 'briny,' possibly referring to sweat attraction) + Latin -idae (family suffix)

Example

The metallic green sweat bee Lasioglossum (Dialictus) zephyrum, a halictid, forms small eusocial colonies with overlapping generations and cooperative brood care, making it a model organism for studying the evolutionary origins of social behavior in bees.

Synonyms

• sweat bees

Related Terms

• Apoidea
• Hymenoptera
• eusocial
• Lasioglossum
• Halictus
• arcuate basal vein
• primitively eusocial
• cleptoparasite

Usage Notes

The common name 'sweat bee' is sometimes applied more broadly to other small bees attracted to perspiration, but in technical contexts refers specifically to Halictidae. The family is distinguished from other short-tongued bees (Andrenidae, Colletidae, Melittidae) primarily by wing venation: the arcuate (curved) basal vein in the hind wing cell. Social systems vary dramatically among and within genera; some species are obligately eusocial, others facultatively so, and many are solitary, complicating generalizations about 'typical' halictid biology.