Lasioglossum laevissimum

(Smith, 1853)

Very Smooth Sweat Bee

Lasioglossum laevissimum is a small metallic sweat in the subgenus Dialictus, one of the most -rich and taxonomically challenging groups of North American bees. The species was described by Smith in 1853 and has accumulated seven synonymies due to historical difficulties in distinguishing Dialictus species. It occurs in Canada and the northern United States, where it nests in soil and visits flowers for pollen and nectar. Like other Dialictus, it is likely a solitary or weakly social ground-nesting bee with females provisioning individual .

Lasioglossum laevissimum by (c) Cole Shoemaker, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Cole Shoemaker. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lasioglossum laevissimum by (c) Amy Schnebelin, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Amy Schnebelin. Used under a CC-BY license.

Lasioglossum laevissimum, F, face, Montana 2012-10-15-16.37.01 ZS PMax (8194071384) by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lasioglossum laevissimum: //ˌlæsioʊˈɡlɒsəm læˈvɪsɪməm//

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Identification

A small metallic sweat distinguished from similar Dialictus by specific morphological characters detailed in the Canadian revision. Males and females can be identified using the keys provided in Gibbs (2010), which resolved previous taxonomic confusion that led to multiple synonymies. The species name 'laevissimum' (very smooth) refers to integumental texture. Accurate identification requires examination of microscopic features; field identification to species is unreliable without specimen collection.

Images

Habitat

Ground-nesting found in open . Inferred from subgenus Dialictus characteristics and Canadian distribution to occupy areas with suitable soil for burrow excavation, likely including grasslands, meadows, and open woodland edges.

Distribution

North America: Canada and northern United States. Documented from Vermont, USA, and included in the Canadian revision of metallic Dialictus, indicating presence across at least eastern and central Canada.

Diet

visit flowers for nectar and pollen. Females collect pollen to provision for larval development. Specific floral associations not documented in available sources; likely a forager given the ecological pattern of Dialictus .

Life Cycle

Ground-nesting lifecycle typical of : females excavate burrows in soil, construct individual , provision each with pollen and nectar, and lay a single per . develop within sealed cells, pupate, and emerge as . Degree of sociality not documented for this ; most Dialictus are solitary or weakly social with occasional production of small .

Ecological Role

of wild flowers. As a member of the diverse Dialictus subgenus, contributes to local diversity and functioning through pollination services.

Human Relevance

Attracted to human perspiration for salts and minerals, as characteristic of . Sting is mild but can occur if is trapped against skin. Occasionally captured in bee bowl traps used for monitoring, though bowl traps poorly this and other small halictid relative to their actual abundance.

Similar Taxa

Other Lasioglossum (Dialictus) speciesDialictus contains over 1,700 globally and 84 metallic species in Canada alone, most requiring microscopic examination for reliable identification. L. laevissimum was historically confused with multiple species now synonymized under it.