chloridini

Chloridini is a taxonomic name that has appeared in the scientific literature to designate a tribe within bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea), most commonly associated with the family Halictidae. However, its definition has varied across sources, and in many modern classifications it is not recognized as a valid or distinct tribe.

In historical treatments, Chloridini was proposed to group a subset of halictid genera based on selected morphological characters, such as wing venation or metasomal features. Later taxonomic revisions often reinterpreted these groupings, with Chloridini being merged into Halictini or treated as a junior synonym, depending on the author and the data available. Because of such changes, there is no universally accepted circumscription of Chloridini today, and the genera that were once placed in it differ among taxonomic authorities.

The status of Chloridini illustrates the broader challenges in bee taxonomy, where classifications shift as new evidence—especially molecular data—becomes available. Contemporary checklists and overviews of Halictidae tend to emphasize well-supported tribes like Halictini, while Chloridini is frequently regarded as historical or obsolete in up-to-date treatments. Nevertheless, references to Chloridini persist in older literature and remain of interest for understanding the historical development of higher-level classifications within Halictidae.