Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee
Agapostemon melliventris
This record describes Agapostemon melliventris (species). Recorded family: Halictidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Wikipedia reference for Agapostemon melliventris: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agapostemon_melliventris.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)
- Superfamily
- Trigonaloidea
- Family
- Halictidae (Sweat, Furrow, Nomiine, and Short-faced Bees)
- Subfamily
- Halictinae
- Tribe
- Halictini
- Genus
- Agapostemon (Striped Sweat Bees)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Canada: Southern Saskatchewan USA: Western North Dakota to western Texas and all states west. Map (Discover Life)
Seasonal Activity
March to December
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Visits flowers from several families. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images.
Additional species information
Species notes from the sources
Etymology: Agapostemon (Agapostemon) melliventris Cresson, 1874
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Agapostemon melliventris. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Hymenoptera includes over 150,000 described species of ants, bees, wasps, and sawflies. Earth harbors approximately 20 quadrillion (20×10^15) ants, with a combined biomass of ~12 megatons of dry carbon - exceeding the combined biomass of all wild birds and mammals (PNAS, 2022).
Ecological role of the group
About 35% of the world's food crops depend on animal pollinators. The chocolate industry, valued at over $100 billion, depends on pollinating flies and midges. Ants are the dominant soil engineers in most terrestrial ecosystems, turning more soil than earthworms in many habitats.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Pollinators contribute $235-577 billion worth of annual global food production (FAO). In the U.S., bee pollination alone benefits crops valued at $18 billion annually, and honey bees are responsible for $5.4 billion in agricultural productivity. Between April 2023-2024, 55.1% of managed honey bee colonies were lost. The U.S. bee population dropped from 5 million to 2.5 million.
Recorded sources for this group: FAO, USDA, EPA, PNAS (2022), US Fish & Wildlife Service. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee (2)
Photo credits: Contributed by Eric R. Eaton; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Mike Quinn , Ted Kropiewnicki , John S. Ascher , Aaron Schusteff , JohnMaxwell22 , hg , PaleoJon , Nathaniel Green
Frequently Asked Questions About Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee
Where is Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee found?
Range: Canada: Southern Saskatchewan USA: Western North Dakota to western Texas and all states west. Map (Discover Life)
What does Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee eat?
The diet of the Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee includes Visits flowers from several families. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known floral associations based on specimen records and images..
When is Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee active?
Honey-tailed Striped Sweat bee: seasonal activity - March to December.