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Identification Summary: Small; blue thorax; orange-yellow abdomen; associated with deep sandy areas; scutum densely pitted; pits present on mesepisturnum but can be difficult to see among the reticulated raised lines; clypeus with a strong yellow rim.
Reprinted with permission from: Mitchell, T.B. 1960 Bees of the Eastern United States. North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station Technical Bulletin No. 141.
FEMALE—Length 4 mm.; head and thorax green, abdomen bright ferruginous; pubescence short, entirely pale, rather dense on thorax laterally and on the more apical abdominal terga; length and breadth of head subequal; clypeus slightly protuberant, projecting about one-third below suborbital line, this portion ferruginous; eyes convergent below; lateral ocelli slightly nearer eyes than to each other; mandibles and labrum ferruginous; cheeks subequal to eyes in width; face below ocelli rather dull, punctures very fine and close, but deep and distinct, becoming more shallow and obscure but still close on the more shining vertex, those on cheeks obscured by dense tomentum, but becoming bare and shining beneath; hypostomal carinae parallel; lower half of face more shining punctures distinctly separated, but still rather close, those on supraclypeal area fine, evenly distributed, rather close, those on clypeus rather fine along upper margin, becoming somewhat more coarse and deep toward apical margin; scutum and scutellum rather dull, punctures deep and distinct (much as in pilosus, fig. 99), but finer and not quite as close in center; pleura somewhat shining, punctures fine, quite close, but deep and distinct; dorsal area of propodeum finely rugoso-striate, lateral surfaces shining, very finely roughened; wings hyaline, veins and stigma pale yellow; tegulae yellowish-hyaline, basal segments of legs piceous, tibiae yellowish at base and apex, tarsi entirely yellow; abdominal terga shining, very minutely but rather closely and distinctly punctate, apical margins rather broadly impressed, more yellowish, contrasting with the ferruginous discs.
MALE—Length 4 mm.; head and thorax greenish, abdomen reddish-piceous; pubescence short and thin, entirely pale, quite dense on lower portion of face and on thorax laterally; length and breadth of head subequal; clypeus convex, rather narrow, projecting about one- half below suborbital line; eyes strongly convergent below; lateral ocelli subequally distant from eyes and from each other; antennae slightly nearer eyes than to each other, basal segment of flagellum subequal to pedicel, 2nd and following segments slightly longer, but still quite short; mandibles and labrum ferruginous; cheeks considerably narrower than eyes; face below ocelli rather dull, punctures deep and distinct, but fine and very close, becoming more minute and sparse on the shining vertex, obscured on cheeks by dense, white tomentum, these becoming shining beneath; lower half of face shining and more minutely but still closely punctate beneath dense, white tomentum; scutum and scutellum shining, punctures deep and distinct, well separated but not sparse; pleura shining, punctures deep and distinct, quite close; dorsal area of propodeum rather coarsely and completely striate, lateral faces shining, with scattered, minute and obscure punctures; wings hyaline, veins and stigma brownish-testaceous; tegulae brownish-testaceous; basal segments of legs piceous, tibiae piceous except for the narrowly yellow base and apex, tarsi entirely yellow; abdominal terga shining, quite deeply and distinctly but very finely and closely punctate, apical margins narrowly impressed, reddened; apical margin of sternum 5 straight; median lobe of sternum 7 rounded apically, narrowly constricted toward base; gonostylus of armature as shown (fig. 102), retrorse lobe rather narrow, finely short pubescent.
DISTRIBUTION—Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts, south to Texas and Florida; March to October, throughout the year in Florida.
FLOWER RECORDS—Amorpha, Batodendron, Bidens, Castanea, Ceanothus, Chrysopsis, Cracea, Erigeron, Galactia, Helenium, Kuhnistera, Lepidium, Melilotus, Monarda, Opuntia, Pyracantha, Rubus, Solidago and Stokesia. Graenicher (1927) records this species also on Croton, Portulaca and Warea.
Extracted from Jason Gibbs. 2011. Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini.) Zootaxa.
Lasioglossum (Dialictus) nymphale (Smith)
Halictus nymphalis Smith, 1853: 68. ♀.
Holotype. ♀ USA, Florida (East), St. John’s Bluff; [BMNH].
Taxonomy. Cockerell, 1905: Halictus nymphalis, p. 352 (tax. notes); Michener, 1951: Lasioglossum (Chloralictus)
nymphale, p. 1115 (catalogue); Mitchell, 1960: Dialictus nymphalis ♀♂, p. 409 (redescription); Krombein, 1967: Lasioglossum
(Dialictus) nymphale, p. 465 (catalogue); Moure and Hurd, 1987: Dialictus nymphalis, p. 116 (catalogue).
Diagnosis. Female L. nymphale can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: clypeus amber apically
(Fig. 164B); mesoscutum not obscured by tomentum, punctures moderately dense (i=1–1.5d) (Fig. 165); tegula ovoid;
and metasoma orange-yellow (Fig. 164A). They are similar to L. pictum and L. arantium, which both have apical half of
clypeus blackish brown. Female L. vierecki have mesoscutum obscured by dense yellowish tomentum (Fig. 29B).
Male L. nymphale can be recognised by the combination of clypeus amber apically (Fig. 166B), mesoscutal punctation
moderately dense (i=1–1.5d) (Fig. 167), mesepisternal punctures deep and distinct, metasomal terga reddish (Fig.
166A), apical impressed areas with narrow impunctate posterior portion.
Redescription. FEMALE. Length 3.93–4.78 mm; head length 1.26–1.32 mm; head width 1.25–1.34 mm; forewing
length 2.84–2.96 mm.
Colouration. Head and mesosoma pale green. Labrum, mandible, and apical half of clypeus amber to yellow.
Antenna dark brown, flagellum with ventral surface orange-yellow. Tegula pale brownish amber to yellow. Wing
membrane subhyaline, venation and pterostigma pale brownish yellow. Legs brown, except tibial bases and apices, and
tarsi brownish yellow. Metasoma terga orange-yellow, sometimes brown basally; terga and sterna with apical margins
translucent yellow.
Pubescence. Dull white. Moderately dense. Head and mesosoma with moderately dense woolly hairs (1–1.5 OD),
longest on genal beard, metanotum, and mesopleuron (2–2.5 OD). Lower paraocular area and gena with subappressed
tomentum, partially obscuring surface. Metepisternum obscured by tomentum. Propodeum with moderately dense
plumose hairs on lateral and posterior surfaces (2–2.5 OD). Metasomal terga with moderately dense, fine hairs. T1 acarinarial fan sparse, without dorsal opening (obscure on pale background). T1 dorsolaterally, T2 basolaterally and T3–T4 entirely with moderately dense tomentum obscuring surface. T2 apicolateral and T3–T4 apical margins with sparse apical fringes.
Surface sculpture. Face imbricate, punctation moderately strong. Clypeus with apical half polished, punctation moderately
dense (i=1–1.5d). Supraclypeal area with punctation dense (i≤d). Lower paraocular area and antennocular area
punctation dense (i≤d). Upper paraocular area, frons and ocellocular area punctate-reticulate. Gena and postgena lineolate.
Mesoscutum weakly imbricate, polished submedially, punctation moderately dense between parapsidal lines (i=1–
1.5d), contiguous laterad of parapsidal line and punctate-reticulate on anterolateral portion. Mesoscutellum imbricate,
submedial punctation sparse (i=1–2d). Axilla punctate. Metanotum imbricate. Preëpisternum rugulose. Hypoepimeral
area imbricate-punctate. Mesepisternum rugulose-punctate (i≤d), more polished below. Metepisternum with dorsal half
rugoso-carinulate, ventral half imbricate. Metapostnotum with anastomosing rugae nearly reaching posterior margin.
Propodeum with dorsolateral slope ruguloso-imbricate, lateral surface imbricate, posterior surface tessellate. Metasomal
terga polished except apical impressed areas weakly coriarious, punctation fine throughout, close on basal halves (i=1–
1.5d), sparser marginal zone (i=1–2d).
Structure. Head wide (length/width ratio = 0.98–1.01). Eyes convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.31–1.35).
Clypeus 1/2 below suborbital tangent, apicolateral margins strongly convergent. Antennal sockets close (IAD/OAD <
0.5). Frontal line carinate, ending 2–2.5 OD below median ocellus. Gena narrower than eye. Inner metatibial spur pectinate
with 3–4 branches. Metapostnotum truncate (MMR ratio = 1.38–1.39), posterior margin weakly angled onto posterior
surface. Propodeum with oblique carina obscure, lateral carina weak, not reaching dorsal margin.
MALE. Similar to female except for the usual secondary sexual characters and as follows. Length 3.81–4.30 mm;
head length 1.27–1.31 mm; head width 1.27–1.32 mm; forewing length 2.84 mm.
Colouration. Labrum, mandible, and apical half of clypeus amber to yellow. Flagellum with ventral surface reddish
brown. Tegula reddish brown. Pterostigma reddish brown. Legs brown, except tibial bases and apices, and tarsi brownish
yellow. Metasoma reddish brown, darker basally, apical margins orange to brownish yellow.
Pubescence. Lower paraocular area with subappressed tomentum obscuring surface. T2–T3 laterally and T4 basally
with sparse tomentum.
Surface sculpture. Surface more polished. Mesepisternal punctation deep and distinct (i≤d). Propodeum with dorsolateral
slope rugulose, obscurely punctate, lateral and posterior surfaces polished, punctate. Metasomal terga with punctation
deep and distinct across disc (i≤d), apical impressed areas impunctate except narrowly punctate basally
Structure. Head round (length/width ratio = 0.99–1.00). Eyes strongly convergent below (UOD/LOD ratio = 1.48–
1.59). Clypeus with apicolateral margins weakly convergent. Antennal sockets distant (IAD/OAD < 1.0). Frontal line carinate,
ending 2 OD below median ocellus. Pedicel subequal to F1. F2 length 1.5X F1. F2–F10 moderately short (length/
width ratio = 1.33–1.50). Metapostnotum moderately truncate (MMR ratio = 1.25–1.38), posterior margin narrowly
rounded onto posterior surface.
Terminalia. S7 with median lobe clavate, apex rounded (Fig. 168). S8 with apicomedial margin strongly convex
(Fig. 168). Genital capsule as in Fig. 168. Gonobase with ventral arms widely separated. Volsella roughly ovoid. Gonostylus
small. Retrorse lobe elongate, attenuated apically.
Range. Virginia south to Florida, west to Mississippi (Fig. 169). USA: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC, VA.
Additional material examined. USA: ALABAMA: 1♀ Baldwin Co., Bon Secour N.W. Ref., T9S R2E Sec. 25 S,
12.x.1991 (G.C. Eickwort); 3♀♀2♂♂ Baldwin Co., Ft. Morgan S.P., T9S R1E Sec. 1,2, 15.x.1991 (G.C. Eickwort);
FLORIDA: 4♀♀ Highlands Co., Archbold Biol. Stn., 1–8.vi.1987 (D.B. Wahl); 4♀♀ 1♂ Highlands Co., Archbold Biol.
Stn., 9–16.vi.1987 (D.B. Wahl); 8♀♀ Levy Co., 5 km SW Archer, 1.v–13.vii.1987; [BRC Hym Team); [CNC]; 1♀ Duval
Co., Little Talbot Island S.P., 1.v.1974 (G.C. Eickwort); 1♀ Franklin Co., coast, 10 mi. S. of Panacea, 7.iv.1964 (G.C.
Eickwort); 1♂ Welaka, 18–20.iv.1955 (H.E. & M.A. Evans); [CUIC]; 3♀♀ Highlands Co., N27.5461 W081.507,
3.vi.2007 (S.W. Droege); 5♀♀ 1♂ Martin Co., N27.0886 W081.1518, 4.vi.2007 (S.W. Droege); 1♀ Pasco Co., Dade City,
5.v.1993 (L. Packer); 3♀♀ Polk Co., N27.8164 W081.5974, 3.vi.2007 (S.W. Droege); [PCYU]; 1♀ Inverness (C. Robertson);
[UCMC]; GEORGIA: 1♂ Forsyth, 5–10.vi.1971 (F.T. Naumann); [CNC]; 18♀♀ Liberty Co., St. Catherines Isl.,
22–27.vi.1995 (A. Sharkov); [PCYU]; MISSISSPPI: 3♀♀ Jackson Co., N30.3675 W088.7194, 4–5.vi.2005 (S.W.
Droege); [PCYU]; NORTH CAROLINA: 1♀ Highlands, 1.vii.1957 (W.R.M. Mason); [CNC]; 1♀ Bladen Co., 3 mi. S
Ammon, 4.v.1963 (G.A. Matuza); [CUIC]; 4♀♀ Dare Co., N36.0306 W075.6764, 13.vii.2006 (S.W. Droege); [PCYU];
SOUTH CAROLINA: 1♀ Aiken, 31.v.1957 (W.J. Brown); 1♀ Aiken, 24.viii.1957 (W.J. Brown); [CNC]; ♀ Chesterfield
Co., N34.5036 W080.22485, 18–19.v.2006 (S.W. Droege); VIRGINIA: 1♀ Page Co., Shenandoah N.P. , 8.vii.1987 (J.T.
Huber); [CNC]; 1♀ Virginia Beach, N36.9167 W076.05, 16–17.vi.2007 (W. Steiner); [PCYU].
Floral records. ASTERACEAE: Bidens, Erigeron, Helenium, Pityopsis graminifolia var. tracyi, Solidago, Stokesia;
BRASSICACEAE: Lepidium virginicum, Warea carteri; CACTACEAE: Opuntia austrina; ERICACEAE: Vaccinium
arboretum; EUPHORBIACEAE: Croton cascarilla; FABACEAE: Amorpha, “Cracca”, Dalea, Galactia pinetorum,
Melilotus; FAGACEAE: Castanea; LAMIACEAE: Monarda, PORTULACACEAE: Portulaca oleracea; RHAMNACEAE:
Ceanothus; ROSACEAE: Pyracantha, Rubus.
DNA Barcode. Available. Multiple sequences.
Comments. Common. Lasioglossum nymphale evidently has a preference for sandy areas.
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