Lasioglossum lionotus (Sandhouse, 1923)
Properties
Scientific Name: Lasioglossum lionotus (Sandhouse, 1923)
Common Name: Smooth-backed Sweat Bee
Taxonomy
Dialictus lionotus Sandhouse, 1923: 194 [♂].
Holotype ♂. USA, Colorado, by Baker [USNM].
Paralictus asteris Mitchell, 1960: 446 [♀, ♂]. Synonymy by Gibbs (2011: 136).
Holotype ♀. USA, North Carolina, Cliffs of the Neuse State Park, Wayne Co., 21.x.1955, by Mitchell [NCSU].
Taxonomic notes: Though most accounts of the biology and distribution of this species are for L. asteris (Mitchell, 1960), Gibbs (2011: 136) found the holotype of Dialictus lionus Sandhouse, 1923 at Cornell University and made the synonymy. He also indicated that the record of L. cephotes (Dalla Torre, 1896) from Ontario reported by MacKay and Knerer (1979) is in reference to L. lionotus (as L. asteris, see Gibbs 2010: 96).
Biology: This species is a social parasite in the nests of Lasioglossum imitatum (Smith, 1853) (Michener 1978; Wcislo 1997; Gibbs 2010).
Distribution in Canada: MacKay and Knerer 1979 [ON, as L. cephalotes (Dalla Torre, 1896)]; Gibbs 2010 [ON, as L. asteris (Mitchell 1960)]; RSKM [SK]
Body length: ♀ 4.0 - 4.6 mm ♂ 4.2 - 4.5 mm
Forewing length: ♀ 3 - 3.2 mm ♂ 3 - 3.2 mm
References
Gibbs J (2010) Revision of the metallic species of Lasioglossum (Dialictus) in Canada (Hymenoptera, Halictidae, Halictini). Zootaxa 2591: 1-382.https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2591.1.1
Gibbs J (2011) Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini). Zootaxa 3073: 1-216.https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3073.1.1
Mitchell TB (1960) Bees of the Eastern United States. Volume 1. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin 141: 1-538.
Sandhouse GA (1923) The bee-genus Dialictus. The Canadian Entomologist 55(8): 193-195.https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/Ent55193-8
MacKay PA, Knerer G (1979) Seasonal occurrence and abundance in a community of wild bees from an old field habitat in southern Ontario. The Canadian Entomologist 111(3): 367-376. https://doi.org/10.4039/Ent111367-3
Wcislo WT (1997) Invasion of nests of Lasioglossum imitatum by a social parasite, Paralictus asteris (Hymenoptera: Halictidae). Ethology 103(1): 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.1997.tb00001.x
Sociality: Social Parasite
Nesting: Ground
Pollen Specialization: Not Applicable
Wintering Stage: Mated Female
Crop Preference: Not Available
Non Crop Preference: Melilotus sp., Aster sp., Robinia sp.
Distribution: Ontario, Saskatchewan
Ecozone: Mixwood Plains, Prairie