Body length, in mm | Female, hind leg, inner tibial spur, this is the spur closest to the abdomen, teeth - At times very difficult to see, view with high magnification | Female, thorax, scutum, reflectivity of surface between pits | Male, abdomen, S5, rim | Male, head, mandible color | Male, thorax, propodeal triangle | 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. | Thorax, color - If your microscope light is not bright you may see the dark greens and blues as black

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

4AK    10AL    8AR    14AZ    12Alberta    12British Columbia    14CA    14CO    8CT    12DC    12DE    10FL    10GA    10IA    14ID    9IL    8IN    10KS    8KY    8LA    8MA    12MD    8ME    8MI    10MN    10MO    10MS    14MT    6Manitoba    10NC    10ND    10NE    8NH    12NJ    14NM    12NV    10NY    6New Brunswick    4Newfoundland and Labrador    4Northwest Territories    6Nova Scotia    8OH    8OK    12OR    8Ontario    12PA    3Prince Edward Island    8Quebec    8RI    10SC    12SD    6Saskatchewan    10TN    12TX    14UT    12VA    8VT    12WA    8WI    10WV    14WY   
3. Sex, number of antennal segments

10Female, 12    10Male, 13   
4. Body length, in mm

23    34    45    76    107    128    129    1010    1011    712    513    414    215   
5. Thorax, color - If your microscope light is not bright you may see the dark greens and blues as black    [Explain]

10Black to dark brown - NO metallic reflections - Clypeus is clearly the same dark brown or black as the rest of the head and thorax    10DARK metallic brassy green or blue - Note, poor light or very high magnification can make this hard to see - The clypeus is brown and clearly much darker than the rest of the head and thorax which has dark, usually brassy, metallic green or bluish reflections   
6. Female, thorax, scutum, reflectivity of surface between pits

5Dull, heavily lined, tessellate, reflecting almost no light    9Shining, usually hatched by small microscopic lines, but still clearly reflecting light - watch for dirty specimens   
7. Female, hind leg, inner tibial spur, this is the spur closest to the abdomen, teeth - At times very difficult to see, view with high magnification    [Explain]

6Inner spur with IRREGULARLY sized teeth, often with spaces between each, on spur closest to the abdomen    6Inner spur with REGULAR AND CONTINUOUS teeth on spur closest to abdomen   


8. Male, head, mandible color

3Black or brown    10Some dull to bright yellow pigmentation present   
9. Male, thorax, propodeal triangle

8Raised lines or striations radiating from the base toward the rim are present, these striations may be present only on the lateral sides, raised bumps can occur in between these striations so look closely before thinking striations are not there    5Uniform granular bumps, rugulose, or a chained network of raised lines present with no striations   
10. Male, abdomen, S5, rim

6Concave in the center, or angled inward    8Straight or only very slightly concave   
11. Subgenus

4Nealictus    4Odontalictus    2Protohalictus    10Seladonia