Lasioglossum lineatulum

(Crawford, 1906)

Lineated Metallic Sweat Bee

Lasioglossum lineatulum is a metallic sweat in the subgenus Dialictus, one of the most commonly collected bee groups in North America. The was described by Crawford in 1906 and has undergone taxonomic revision, with Halictus (Chloralictus) latus and H. (C.) unicus synonymized under this name. As a member of the largest bee , it contributes to the high abundance of Lasioglossum species frequently captured in bee surveys.

Lasioglossum lineatulum, female, face 2012-07-12-17.04 (20847333372) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Lasioglossum lineatulum, female, left side 2012-07-12-17.17 (20668872370) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Lasioglossum lineatulum, female, face 2012-06-25-15.34 (18334764129) by USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Lab from Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lasioglossum lineatulum: /ˌlæsiˈɔːɡlɒsəm ˌlɪniəˈtjuːləm/

These audio files are automatically generated. While they are not always 100% accurate, they are a good starting point.

Identification

Identification to level requires microscopic examination and reference to the taxonomic revision by Gibbs (2010), which provides complete species descriptions with illustrations and diagnostic for Canadian Dialictus. The species can be distinguished from other metallic Lasioglossum through characters detailed in that revision, though field identification is extremely difficult without specimen preparation and expert analysis.

Images

Appearance

A small metallic sweat with characteristic Dialictus . As a metallic within the subgenus, it likely exhibits green, , or bronze coloration typical of the group. Detailed morphological features would require examination of the original species description in Gibbs (2010).

Distribution

North America; recorded from Canada and the United States including Vermont.

Human Relevance

Like other Lasioglossum , individuals may be attracted to human perspiration for salts and minerals, though this has not been specifically documented for L. lineatulum. The species is likely captured frequently in bowl trap surveys due to the general tendency of to be attracted to these devices.

Similar Taxa

Other Lasioglossum (Dialictus) speciesExtremely difficult to distinguish without detailed morphological examination; many in this subgenus share metallic coloration and small size, requiring expert identification using microscopic characters.
Halictus species-sized or blackish sweat with abdominal can be confused with metallic Lasioglossum in general appearance, though Halictus lack the metallic sheen typical of L. lineatulum.

More Details

Taxonomic History

Gibbs (2010) treated Halictus (Chloralictus) unicus Sandhouse as a junior synonym of L. lineatulum, reaffirming its synonymy status. The is one of 84 metallic Dialictus treated in the Canadian revision.

Monitoring Considerations

As with many Lasioglossum , L. lineatulum may be overrepresented in bowl trap relative to its actual abundance in the environment, a known in methods.