Female, abdomen, color of integument | Female, head, clypeus, color of rim above labrum | Female, hind leg, tibia, hair color | Female, thorax, propodeum, top center | Male, hind leg, femur, side FACING the abdomen, presence and patterns of dark markings | Male, hind leg, femur, size | Male, hind leg, femur, small tooth on the underside about one fifth of the way to the end with the tibia - Careful, can be hard to see when the legs are folded | Male, hind leg, tibia, side FACING the abdomen, presence and patterns of dark color markings | Male, hind leg, underside of basitarsus, in the region between where the two tibial spurs bracket the basal portion of the basitarsus | Sex; number of antennal segments | State or province where bee was collected | Subgenus | The opening page offers a limited set of characters from which to choose. Click on any trait states that you can confidently assess, and then use the SEARCH button to activate your choices. This will return a set of species matches on the left . Next, select SIMPLIFY and the screen will present a new set of characters.

Check boxes for all that apply. If uncertain, skip character or select several states. Then click on any search button.
Navigate with above index or scroll bar.
Number scored for a state is in green.
1. The opening page offers a limited set of characters from which to choose. Click on any trait states that you can confidently assess, and then use the SEARCH button to activate your choices. This will return a set of species matches on the left . Next, select SIMPLIFY and the screen will present a new set of characters.    [Explain]

1DO NOT CLICK THIS BUTTON -- Please click on the EXPLAIN button for a link to a guide to using Discover Life. A link to a Google Drive folder with additional keys and other identification resources is also provided.   

2. State or province where bee was collected    [Explain]

6AL    8AR    16AZ    7Alberta    8British Columbia    12CA    18CO    8CT    8DC    8DE    6FL    8GA    10IA    14ID    8IL    8IN    16KS    8KY    8LA    8MA    8MD    8ME    8MI    14MN    10MO    6MS    12MT    11Manitoba    8NC    16ND    16NE    8NH    8NJ    20NM    8NV    8NY    2New Brunswick    2Nova Scotia    8OH    14OK    10OR    8Ontario    8PA    8Quebec    8RI    8SC    16SD    2Saskatchewan    8TN    22TX    16UT    8VA    8VT    8WA    8WI    8WV    20WY   
3. Sex; number of antennal segments

15Female; 12    15Male; 13   


4. Female, abdomen, color of integument    [Explain]

9Black, brown, or amber in coloration - With varying levels of slight blue or green metallic sheen, but never approaching that of the head or scutum    6Metallic green or blue - With the same level of metallic sheen seen on the head or scutum, or very nearly so   


5. Female, head, clypeus, color of rim above labrum

10Dark brown to black    5Pale off-white to yellow, although sometimes there is a thin band of dark integument along the rim   


6. Female, hind leg, tibia, hair color    [Explain]

7All hairs from the basitibial plate down the tibia similar in color with hairs on the sides of the tibia and the scopal hairs, golden to white    9Hairs on basitibial plate and those proceeding down the front of the tibia darker than hairs on the sides of the tibia and the scopal hairs, dark brown or smoky grey   


7. Female, thorax, propodeum, top center    [Explain]

9Longitudinally striate throughout or all rugulae similar, no distinct triangular area created by different patterns of rugulae    10With small triangle set within the larger propodeal triangle that is defined by a distinctly different pattern of rugulae than the coarse ones surrounding it, these markings often going in different directions sometimes forming a ridge at the interface - This small triangle sometimes subtle, other times obvious   


8. Male, hind leg, femur, small tooth on the underside about one fifth of the way to the end with the tibia - Careful, can be hard to see when the legs are folded    [Explain]

9With tooth    6Without tooth   


9. Male, hind leg, femur, size    [Explain]

9Clearly SWOLLEN to somewhat swollen - Femur length 1.5 to 3.0 times the width    11Relatively SLENDER - Length of Femur greater than 3 times the width   


10. Male, hind leg, femur, side FACING the abdomen, presence and patterns of dark markings

6A complete stripe extending from coxa to tibia    2No markings other than minute amounts at the joints    6On both ends of the femur, but does not form a complete stripe - Often the base of the femur is hard to see, in that case do not use character    10Only on the end nearest the tibia, can be extensive but does not create a complete stripe from one end to the other    1Only on the end nearest the trochanter, can be extensive but does not create a complete stripe from one end to the other   





11. Male, hind leg, tibia, side FACING the abdomen, presence and patterns of dark color markings

5Complete stripe extending from femur to basitarsus - At times may not quite be complete but, covering more than three quarters the length of the tibia    9Mark covering less than three quarters of the length of the tibia, often much less    9No markings except for tiny amounts near the joints   



12. Male, hind leg, underside of basitarsus, in the region between where the two tibial spurs bracket the basal portion of the basitarsus    [Explain]

13No ridge present, integument uninterrupted and smooth    6With a ridge originating at the base and running about one third to one half way along the basitarsus, note this ridge is often difficult to see as it can be hidden by hairs, the size and shape can be species specific   


13. Subgenus

27Agapostemon    2Notagapostemon