CLOSED: Metallic Bee

Does anyone know what this metallic bee might be?

Thanks!

Well, I have no idea, but he is pretty!

~Kris

Maybe a sweatbee? http://bugguide.net/node/view/36458

Funny, I found one yesterday and was wondering what it was also.

a closer shot

It could be Augochlora Green Metallic Bee
http://stri.discoverlife.org/mp/20q?search=Augochlorella+aurata

~ or ~

Agapostemon virescens
http://www.hopscotch.ca/guides-on-demand/arthropods/p-1.html



This message was edited Jul 18, 2007 10:47 PM

Thanks all for the input ... sorry for the delay in responding ... I was out of town.

I agree that mine is likely a sweat bee, genus Augchloa. My guy is more gold than green, but there can be some color variation. I will have to do more investigation on the species, although bugguide only has one species ... pura

Thanks!
LIna

Can I add one, too?
I shot this one this morning. I've seen them before. Is it the same as above?
Andy P

Could someone please help me understand the diagnostic characteristics of the Augoclora pura mentioned on this page :
http://bugguide.net/node/view/66102/bgimage

- truncate marginal cell
- dark, oval tegulae
- epistomal lobes

Thanks!

This is what I could find.

TRUNCATE:
adj. 1. Appearing to terminate abruptly

MARGINAL:
adj. 1. Of, relating to, located at, or constituting a margin, a border, or an edge.

CELL:
n. 1. An area bordered by veins in an insect's wing.

TEGULAE:
n. 1. (Zool.) A small appendage situated above the base of the wings of Hymenoptera and attached to the mesonotum(see MESONOTUM).

MESONOTUM:
n. 1. (Zool.) The dorsal portion of the mesothorax(see MESOTHORAX) of insects.

MESOTHORAX:
n. 1. The middle of the three divisions of the thorax of an insect, bearing the middle pair of legs and the first pair of wings


EPISTOMAL
n. 1. (Zool.) The region between the antennæ and the mouth

LOBE:
n. 1. A rounded projection, especially a rounded, projecting anatomical part: the lobe of an ear.
2. A subdivision of a bodily organ or part bounded by fissures, connective tissue, or other structural boundaries.



This message was edited Jul 24, 2007 7:17 AM

This message was edited Jul 24, 2007 7:21 AM

Andy, I think yours is the Agapostemon virescens
http://davesgarden.com/bf/go/2748/
Reference: http://bugguide.net/node/view/21858

frans530, it's hard to tell for sure, but yours looks more like the Agapostemon splendens - with a green abdomen.
Reference: http://bugguide.net/node/view/74478

maccionoadha, thanks much for the information! I'll try to translate it to my bee.



This message was edited Jul 24, 2007 1:47 PM

Thanks for all the hard research Linda.. I knew they were different.. just didn't have a clue as to what they were.

Fran

Thanks, Linda.