SCIENTIFIC NAME
Agapostemon
DESCRIPTION
Usually medium sized bees (nine to 11 mm), Agapostemon have a beautiful bright metallic green coloration, sometimes blueish, with pale hairs almost invisible with our own eyes. In one species (Agapostemon virescens), females have white stripes of hairs on a black abdomen. Males look a little bit different with their black and yellow abdomen, they have yellow legs as well. As other genera in this family, males have long antennae.
RANGE
HABITAT
DIET
BEHAVIOUR
undefinedPRIMARY ECOSYSTEM ROLES
Feeding Habits
Species in this genus are active from early spring to autumn and as they are generalists, they can feed on most flowering plants, particularly those in the sunflower (Asteraceae) family. You can support them with native plant such as Wild Geranium, Golden Alexanders, beardtongues, Harebell, coneflowers, wild roses, vervains and autumn flowers like asters and goldenrods.
Nesting Habits
Metallic green sweat bees are ground nesters, either solitary or communal. They like to nest in any type of soil, on bare ground or vegetated areas (lawns), flat or slopy areas.
Neat Facts
As in other genus from this family, Agapostemon can have more than one generation per year, they are called multivoltine. If they have two generations, the name is bivoltine.
