Halictus
| Halictus | ||||||||||||
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Halictus scabiosae |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Halictus | ||||||||||||
| Latreille , 1804 |
The genus Halictus includes a wide variety of bee species in the Halictidae family . The genus is divided into 18 subgenera, including some with doubtful monophyly , with over 200 species, mainly in the Northern Hemisphere (some species occur in South America , Asia and Africa ). In Europe the genus is represented with around 85 species, in Central Europe 28 species occur.
morphology
Most species are black or dark brown, sometimes tinged with metallic green, with whitish bands on the rear edge of the tergites of the abdomen. The longitudinal furrow on the last tergite is characteristic in females (also in Lasioglossum ). The females have densely hairy hind legs (collecting brush). The species of the related genus Lasioglossum have basal, non-apical hair ties. Halictus species are 4 to 16 mm long. The males are slimmer than the females.
Way of life
Many species in the genus are eusocial , with colony sizes ranging from very small (2-4 individuals) to large (> 200). Nests are usually created in the ground, with several oval cells in which pollen mixed with nectar is deposited as food for the developing larvae; a single egg is placed on top of this mass and the cell is sealed. In some species, the cells are arranged in groups that resemble a honeycomb, but are formed from earth instead of wax. As with most potting bees, the brood cells are lined with a water-repellent secretion.
Occurrence and distribution
Some species from the genus have a wide geographical distribution, such as B. Halictus rubicundus , which populates practically the entire northern hemisphere. It was previously believed that Halictus ligatus was distributed from Canada to Venezuela and including the Caribbean . However, genetic data show that at least three different species are grouped under this name. One of these is restricted to the southeastern United States and the Caribbean, one to Central America, and the actual H. ligatus occurs in the north and west of the United States. Common European species are H. quadricinctus , H. sexcinctus and H. rubicundus .
Halictus rubicundus is solitary at higher altitudes and latitudes, but forms small eusocial colonies in warmer regions.
Types (selection)
- Yellow-banded furrow bee ( Halictus scabiosae )
- Red-legged furrow bee ( Halictus rubicundus )
- White-banded furrow bee ( Halictus sexcinctus )
- Gold furrow bee ( Halictus subauratus )
swell
- Michener, CD (2007). The Bees of the World. 2nd edition. Johns Hopkins University Press.
- E. Scheuchl & W. Willner (2016). Pocket dictionary of the wild bees of Central Europe. Quelle & Meyer. ISBN 978-3-494-01653-5
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Genus Halictus - Furrow Bees . bugguide.net. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
- ^ Halictus at Fauna Europaea. Retrieved August 14, 2018