Abdomen, upper side, color pattern | Forewing, 1st transcubital vein, structure | Head, antennal scape, color on front side - Back side usually completely dark | Head, cheek, directly under the mandible base, presence or absence of a drawn out peak or point - Look carefully in the hair | Head, clypeus, color pattern | Head, face, color above the level of the antennae | Head, face, paroccular area below the level of the antennae, color pattern | 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, pronotum, color pattern | Wings, color of veins

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]

17AL    10AR    1Alberta    1CO    6CT    7DC    17DE    22FL    18GA    12IA    12IL    12IN    13KS    7KY    11LA    7MA    17MD    3ME    11MI    15MN    15MO    17MS    1MT    18NC    10ND    14NE    2NH    17NJ    11NY    1New Brunswick    1Nova Scotia    8OH    14OK    8Ontario    10PA    1Prince Edward Island    3Quebec    4RI    18SC    13SD    1Saskatchewan    8TN    11TX    1UT    17VA    2VT    12WI    6WV    1WY   
3. Abdomen, upper side, color pattern

8Dark with a single pair of small, light colored PATCHES on the extreme far sides of either or both T2 and T3    7Dark with broad light colored BANDS that extend across the middle of two or more segments without interruption    14Dark with light colored BANDS that extend across two or more segments and are briefly or extensively interrupted in the center    13Entirely dark    4Entirely pale to bright yellow, orange, ferruginous, reddish    2Nearly completely dark, but with a thin band of pale to bright yellow lining the inside edge of the broad clear rim on one or all of the segments T3-T5   
4. Head, face, color above the level of the antennae

22Entirely dark    2Entirely pale to bright yellow    17Mostly dark but with the markings below the antenna extending into this region   
5. Head, clypeus, color pattern

10Cream colored entirely or nearly entirely - There may be a few small dark spots    4Entirely dark    4Mostly cream colored with dark along the upper margin    4Mostly dark with cream colored markings    9Mostly dark with pale to bright yellow markings    4Mostly pale to bright yellow with dark along the upper margin    19Pale to bright yellow entirely or nearly entirely, may have a few small dark spots   
6. Head, face, paroccular area below the level of the antennae, color pattern    [Explain]

7Entirely cream colored    9Entirely dark    13Entirely pale to bright yellow    9Mostly dark with light colored markings    11Pale or bright yellow nearly filling the area, except along the outer subantennal suture where it is dark   
7. Head, antennal scape, color on front side - Back side usually completely dark

12Dark with pale or bright yellow markings    7Entirely dark    26Mostly or entirely pale to bright yellow   
8. Thorax, pronotum, color pattern

19Dark with pale to bright yellow markings    18Entirely dark    3Entirely pale to bright yellow   
9. Head, cheek, directly under the mandible base, presence or absence of a drawn out peak or point - Look carefully in the hair    [Explain]

28Absent    6Present   
10. Forewing, 1st transcubital vein, structure    [Explain]

6Branched near base, forming a tiny additional cell    26Simple, NO branching, nor any additional tiny cell   
11. Wings, color of veins

21Clear to pale yellow or milky white    17Light brown to dark brown   
12. Subgenus

6Alloperdita    2Cockerellia    1Epimacrotera    8Hexaperdita    16Perdita