Lasioglossum (Dialictus) vierecki (Crawford)

Gibbs, Jason, 2011, Revision of the metallic Lasioglossum (Dialictus) of eastern North America (Hymenoptera: Halictidae: Halictini), Zootaxa 3073, pp. 1-216 : 207

Lasioglossum (Dialictus) vierecki (Crawford)

Halictus vierecki Crawford, 1904: 97 . Ƥ.

Holotype. Ƥ USA, New Jersey, Clementon, 6.vi.1830 [ ANSP: 10206]. Examined. [specimen missing head]

Taxonomy. Graenicher, 1910: Halictus vierecki 3, p. 158 (description); Viereck, 1916: Halictus (Chloralictus) vierecki , p. 707; Michener, 1951: Lasioglossum (Chloralictus) vierecki , p. 1118 (catalogue); Mitchell, 1960: Dialictus vierecki Ƥ3, p. 429 (redescription); Krombein, 1967: Lasioglossum (Dialictus) vierecki , p. 466 (catalogue); Dialictus vierecki , p. 1973 (catalogue); Moure & Hurd, 1987: Dialictus vierecki , p. 139 (catalogue); Gibbs, 2010b: Lasioglossum (Dialictus) vierecki Ƥ3, p. 346 (redescription, key).

Diagnosis. Female L. vierecki can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: metasoma pale, brownish yellow; head, mesosoma ( Fig. 29 B), and metasomal terga largely obscured by dense, yellowish tomentum; apical half of clypeus brownish yellow; and legs extensively brownish yellow.

Male L. vierecki can be recognised by the following diagnostic combination: size small (2.9–4.9 mm), mesoscutal punctures dense (i<d), mesepisternal punctures distinct, metasomal terga reddish brown, and basal portions of T2–T3 distinctly impressed.

Range. Manitoba and Ontario south to Texas and Florida. USA: FL, IN, MA, MD, MI, MN, NC, NE, NJ, NY, RI, SC, TX, WI. CANADA: MB, ON, PQ.

DNA Barcode. Available. Multiple sequences.

Comments. Common.

Lasioglossum vierecki evidently has a preference for nesting in sandy soils. This species is believed to be solitary ( Knerer 1969; Packer 1993).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Mesoscutum (A) not obscured by tomentum, (B) obscured by tomentum (L. vierecki). (From Gibbs 2010 b).