Poey's Furrow Bee
Halictus poeyi
This record describes Halictus poeyi (species). Recorded family: Halictidae. Recorded order: Hymenoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Well-defined basal hair bands, relatively broad apical hair bands; apparently robust head of female with a genal tooth; male antennae pale below; tegula pale. Best separated from H. ligatus based on range OR DNA sequence data in areas of sympatry. female genal tooth Packer et al. (1998) determined H. poeyi and H. ligatus to be a separate species by differences in mitochondrial DNA.
Wikipedia reference for Halictus poeyi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halictus_poeyi.
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
- Halictus (Furrow Bees)
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
USA: New Jersey south to Florida west to Mississippi. Also found on many Caribbean islands including The Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica. Discover Life Map
Seasonal Activity
February to November
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: Halictus (Odontalictus) poeyi Lepeletier, 1841
About Flies: the wider group
Order-level background for Hymenoptera, the group containing Halictus poeyi. 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 Poey's Furrow Bee (3)
Photo credits: Contributed by Sean McCann; Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset , Bbarnd , John S. Ascher , v belov , hg , Nathaniel Green
Frequently Asked Questions About Poey's Furrow Bee
What is Poey's Furrow Bee?
Poey's Furrow Bee (Halictus poeyi) is a species in the family Halictidae, within the order Hymenoptera.
How do you identify Poey's Furrow Bee?
Well-defined basal hair bands, relatively broad apical hair bands; apparently robust head of female with a genal tooth; male antennae pale below; tegula pale. Best separated from H. ligatus based on range OR DNA sequence data in areas of sympatry. female genal tooth
Where is Poey's Furrow Bee found?
Range: USA: New Jersey south to Florida west to Mississippi. Also found on many Caribbean islands including The Bahamas, Cuba, and Jamaica. Discover Life Map
What does Poey's Furrow Bee eat?
The diet of the Poey's Furrow 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 Poey's Furrow Bee active?
Poey's Furrow Bee: seasonal activity - February to November.