Beginner's guide to Vermont Green Bees.
Augochlora This species has a metallic green head, thorax, and abdomen | Subgenus augochlora | Augochlora pura | Pure Green Sweat bee | The forked mandible is rarely visible in photos, but distinctive. Small to medium-sized, metallic green sweat bee (5–9 mm long) with shiny, bright green head, thorax, and abdomen. Distinguishing features include a uniformly smooth scutum, (A bee's scutum is the shield-shaped, large, and often hair-covered section of the thorax located between the head and the wings), dark brown wings, and the propodeal triangle (a plate above the back of the thorax) with striations that completely traverse it. Squared-off (truncated) marginal cell at the end of their wings. | Often impossible to confidently separate from Golden Sweat Bees (Augochlorella aurata) without clear photos. |
Augochlorellaclosely resembles Augochlora pura. They are similarly sized and have the same metallic green coloration. | Augochlorella aurata | Golden Sweat Bee | The end of the mandible of females is shaped like a mitten, though this is often not visible in photos. While variable in size, this tends to be the smallest green bee in VT. Especially small and golden individuals are probably safely ID without seeing finer details. Small, metallic green bee (5-7mm) that can have golden, yellow-green, or coppery-green colors, sometimes with coppery-pink hues. Key features include rounded mandibles (shaped like a mitten) that distinguish it from A. Pura with its forked tips, and an unridged propodeum (unlike agapostemon) | Most similar to Pure Green Sweat Bees (Augochlora pura), many won’t be identifiable from photos. | |
Augochloropsis has one distinct feature that separates it from the other three genera — large, asymmetric or angular tegulae that are usually extensively green. On the first and second abdominal segments (T1 and T2), there is a row of stiff hairs, sparse on some species and dense on others. | Subgenus Paraugochloropsis | Augochloropsis metallica | Metallic Epauletted-Sweat Bee | The green, bean shaped tegula is distinctive, though not always obvious. Brilliant metallic green bee that is larger than other green sweat bees, with a broad, bell-shaped abdomen. Key distinguishing features include D-shaped, metallic green tegulae (wing bases) and bright metallic green upper legs | Slightly smaller than Striped Sweat Bees (Genus Agapostemon) with out the angular end of the thorax. Larger and brighter than Pure Green Sweat Bee (Augochlora pura). |
Augochloropsis | Subgenus Paraugochloropsis | Augochloropsis viridula | Northeastern Sweat Bee | Metallic green head and thorax. The abdomen is a key feature: females have black-and-white stripes, while males have black-and-yellow stripes. (Augochloropsis viridula) Northeaster Sweat Bee: Males and females have green trochanter, femur, and tibia. Forewing with three submarginal cells and a strongly basil veined. Large, asymmetric, or angular (not oval but bean-shaped) tegulae (where wings join body) that are usually extensively green. On the first and second abdominal segments (T1 and T2), there is a row of stiff hairs, sparse on some species and dense on others. View Green Bee Genera of Vermont for more. | |
Agapostemon males have a black abdomen with yellow stripes, yellow legs, and a yellow labrum (upper lip). | Subgenus Agapostemon | Agapostemon virescens | Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee | The combination of the green thorax and the black-and-white striped abdomen is unique in our area. Males, which are only active at the end of the season, have a yellow and black striped abdomen like the other males in the genus. Unlike other species, male Bicolored tend to be dark under the abdomen. Medium-sized bee with a metallic green head and thorax. Females have a black and white striped abdomen, while males have a black and yellow striped abdomen. Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee Agapostemon virescens: ID to species of male Agapostemon is usually quite difficult. Males are difficult to ID to species without a view of sternites. Consider revising species-level IDs to Subgenus Agapostemon if the diagnostic characters of species cannot be verified. | Female Silky Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon sericeus) can occasionally have faint white hair bands on the abdomen, but on a green background. |
Agapostemon (Striped Sweat Bees) | Subgenus Agapostemon | Agapostemon subtilior | Fine Striped Sweat Bee | Metallic green sweat bee and then check for a thickened or "toothed" black mark on the male clypeus (faceplate), yellowish hairs on the thorax and legs, and a distinct dark mark on the basal (lower) part of the hind tibia for both males and females. Females are entirely metallic green, while males have metallic green heads and thoraxes with black and yellowstriped abdomens. | |
Agapostemon (Striped Sweat Bees) | Subgenus Agapostemon | Agapostemon splendens | Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bee | None on iNat: Females are likely recognizable by their dark brown wings, while males may be recognized by their massively swollen hind femur. A rare metallic green sweat bee with dark brown wings (females) or massively swollen hind femurs (males). These distinguishing features are key | Similar to the more widespread Silky Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon sericeus) and Texas Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon texanus). |
Agapostemon (Striped Sweat Bees) | Subgenus Agapostemon | Agapostemon sericeus | Silky Striped Sweat Bee | Females can show some white hair in stripes on the abdomen, but the background color is bright green, not black as in the Bicolored.(A. Virescens). Look for a metallic green head and thorax. The key differences are based on sex: males have a distinctive yellow and black striped abdomen, while females are metallic green with silvery-white abdominal bands and a rough thorax. Male abdomen has a flat yellow and black striped pattern that may look duller compared to the bicolored species' vibrant metallic sheen. yellow spots on the sixth abdominal segment. | Females are challenging to separate from Brown-winged Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon splendens) and Texas Striped Sweat Bee (Agapostemon texanus). Males of all 4 Agapostemon species are usually not identifiable from photos. |