Lasioglossum imitatum

(Smith, 1853)

Bristle Sweat Bee

Lasioglossum imitatum is a of sweat in the , commonly known as the bristle sweat bee. It is a member of the large Lasioglossum (subgenus Dialictus), which contains over 1,700 species. The species is known to be parasitized by the Paralictus asteris, which invades nests and becomes the reproductive in colonies.

Lasioglossum imitatum by (c) Katja Schulz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Katja Schulz. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lasioglossum imitatum by no rights reserved, uploaded by Yann Kemper. Used under a CC0 license.

Lasioglossum imitatum by (c) Zachary Dankowicz, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Zachary Dankowicz. Used under a CC-BY license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lasioglossum imitatum: //ˌlæsiˈoʊˌɡlɔsəm ˌɪmɪˈtɑːtəm//

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Images

Distribution

North America; specifically recorded from Vermont, United States.

Host Associations

Paralictus asteris - that invades nests and becomes reproductive guards recognize chemically; living parasites sometimes enter without aggression from guards.

Behavior

Nests are subject to invasion by . guards adopt defensive postures when contacting dead , suggesting chemical recognition of parasites. Guards respond aggressively to unrelated from other nests but not to nest-resident conspecifics.

More Details

Social Parasitism

Paralictus asteris, a socially parasitic sweat , invades nests of Lasioglossum imitatum. The has morphological modifications including an enlarged quadrate and elongate scythe-like associated with its parasitic lifestyle. Multiple parasites can occupy a single nest, and invasion success is not influenced by whether the parasitic female is mated or has developed .