Lasioglossum ephialtum
Gibbs, 2010
nightmare sweat bee
Lasioglossum ephialtum is a sweat in the , described as a new in 2010 by Jason Gibbs. It belongs to the subgenus Dialictus, a diverse group of small bees commonly collected across North America. The species is known by the 'nightmare sweat bee.' As with other Dialictus species, it is likely a , though specific biological details remain poorly documented.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Lasioglossum ephialtum: /ˌlæsiəˈɡlɔsəm ɛˈfialtəm/
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Distribution
Canada; Vermont, United States
More Details
Etymology
The specific epithet 'ephialtum' and 'nightmare sweat ' suggest a reference to Ephialtes, a figure from Greek mythology associated with nightmares (the source of the word 'ephippial'), or possibly to the Greek word for 'leaping upon.' The name was given by describer Jason Gibbs in 2010.
Taxonomic History
Lasioglossum ephialtum was described as one of 19 new in a 2010 taxonomic revision of metallic Dialictus in Canada (Zootaxa 2591). The revision addressed the significant challenges in identifying these morphologically similar bees.
Sources and further reading
- BugGuide
- Wikipedia
- GBIF taxonomy match
- iNaturalist taxon
- NCBI Taxonomy
- Catalogue of Life
- Just inTime for Pollinator Week | Bug Squad
- The Native Bees in the UC Davis Bee Haven | Bug Squad
- Bug Eric: Don't Sweat 'em
- Back-Seat Driver: The Parasite That Makes Bees Drop Off Its Babies
- Building a Better Bee Trap: Researchers Say Bee Bowls Are Overused
- Bug Eric: White Prairie Clover: An Awesome Blossom
- Revision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Halictini)