Lasioglossum pruinosum

(Robertson, 1892)

hoary sweat bee

Lasioglossum pruinosum is a small sweat in the , commonly known as the hoary sweat bee. Like other members of the Lasioglossum, it is a ground-nesting solitary or semi-social bee. The is documented in North America and is one of many small halictid bees frequently captured in bowl trap surveys, though specific ecological details for this species remain limited.

Lasioglossum pruinosum, F, rt side, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan 2012-10-17-10.52.34 ZS PMax (8192981627) by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Lasioglossum pruinosum, F, top, Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan 2012-10-17-11.01.51 ZS PMax (8194069682) by USGS Native Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory from Beltsville, USA. Used under a Public domain license.

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Lasioglossum pruinosum: //ˌlæ.si.oʊˈɡlɒsəm prʊˈaɪnəsəm//

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

Images

Distribution

North America. Distribution records indicate presence across the continent, though specific range boundaries are not well documented.

Behavior

As a member of the subgenus Dialictus within Lasioglossum, this likely exhibits solitary or weakly social nesting with females excavating burrows in soil. Males have been observed flowers, including prairie clovers (Dalea species), where they seek nectar and mating opportunities with foraging females.

Ecological Role

. As a sweat , this contributes to of flowering plants, including prairie clovers and other flora. Like many small bees, it is part of the diverse wild bee that provides services, though it is not among the -pollinating species.

Human Relevance

Minimal direct economic importance. The may be encountered by in surveys using bowl traps, where Lasioglossum species are frequently captured in large numbers. Not known to be aggressive; females can if handled but males are harmless.

Similar Taxa

Other Lasioglossum (Dialictus) speciesThe subgenus Dialictus contains numerous small, morphologically similar that are difficult to distinguish without microscopic examination. Many are frequently misidentified or grouped together in ecological studies.
Lasioglossum calceatum (Common Furrow Bee)Another small with similar size and ground-nesting , though this is more social and produces , unlike most Dialictus.

More Details

Research and Monitoring Context

Lasioglossum pruinosum is representative of a broader issue in research: bowl traps frequently capture large numbers of small bees including many Lasioglossum , potentially skewing diversity estimates and creating identification bottlenecks due to the taxonomic difficulty of the . Researchers have urged caution in interpreting bowl trap data for this reason.