Halictidae

Halictidae is a large, cosmopolitan family of bees in the order Hymenoptera and superfamily Apoidea, commonly called sweat bees. It contains several thousand described species in multiple genera (for example Lasioglossum, Halictus and Augochlora) and is abundant in temperate and tropical regions worldwide. Members range from small to medium size and often display metallic green, blue or bronzy colorations, though many are black or dull-colored.

Halictid bees occupy a variety of nesting sites, with the majority nesting in the ground; some species nest in stems, wood cavities or preexisting burrows. Adults feed on nectar and collect pollen to provision nests; many are generalist foragers and serve as important pollinators of wild plants and crops. Some species are frequently attracted to human sweat for salts and moisture, giving the family its common name.

Social organization in Halictidae is highly variable, spanning solitary, communal, semisocial and eusocial arrangements. Eusociality has evolved multiple times within the family and is often seasonal in temperate species, with a single reproductive female and castes of workers appearing for part of the year. This plasticity makes Halictidae important models in studies of social evolution.

Conservation concerns mirror those for other pollinators: habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and disease threaten some species. Because many halictids are ground-nesters and generalist foragers, conserving nesting habitat and diverse floral resources supports their populations.