Cedar Creek Natural History Area

Insects of Cedar Creek

Order HYMENOPTERA

Conspicuous metallic green bees include Augochlorella striata, Augochlora pura, Augochloropsis metallica, and Agapostemonspp(sericeus, splendens, texanus, virescens).

Dufourea monardae is a small black bee that specializes on Monarda fistulosa. It is infrequently swept in savanna areas where its host occurs.

Lasioglossum spp (coriaceum, acuminatum, forbesii, +) are small black bees with basal bands of pale hairs on their abdominal segments. They are fairly common as are the even smaller black species of Evylaeus (pectoralis, quebecensis, +). Species of Halictus (confusus, rubicundus, parallelus, ligatus) are larger often with a metallic green cast and apical fasciae.

Perhaps ten species of Sphecodes (?davisii, heraclei, confertus, dichrous, atlantis, minor, stygius, carolinus, prosphorus, persimilis?) have been collected. These bees are generally quite hairless with red abdomens and black thorax. They are primarily kleptoparasites of other ground nesting Halictids.

The dominant genus in the family is Dialictus. Dialictus pilosulus is in turn the dominant species in this large genus. Several other species are routinely swept but some are rather difficult to determine. Perhaps ten species have been collected. Tentative ID's include: ( pictus, vierecki, cressoni,  laevissimus,  nigroviridis, pruinosus, lineatulus, perpunctatus++).