Over the years, small, shiny green bees nectaring on wildflowers in our prairie restorations have been identified for us by bugguide.net as two different kinds of Sweat Bees. The first is a genus of "Striped Sweat Bees," genus Agapostemon, shown here on Wavy-leaf Thistle, in our Road Field. Wavy-leaf (Cirsium undulatum) is a magnificent native pollinator-plant:
The second is a different group of metallic-green Sweat Bees, classified as tribe "Augochlorini." Here are some Augochlorine Sweat Bees on Grey-headed Coneflower, in our Creek Field:
Now after all these years I am finally putting two-and-two together! Both kinds of shiny green Sweat Bee are members of the bee family Halictidae, and both are wonderful pollinators!
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