Subject: Metallic green bee
Geographic location of the bug: Belton South Carolina
Date: 07/24/2018
Time: 01:04 PM EDT
Your letter to the bugman: I saw these metallic green and yellow bees on the ground over pile of dirt. What I thought was yellow now I’m thinking that it might be just pollen. But they are not a type of bee that we’ve ever seen around here. Hoping you can help me identify them and wondering if they sting.
How you want your letter signed: Brenda Bryant
Dear Brenda,
These appear to be Metallic Green Sweat Bees in the family Halicitidae, and though they are solitary bees, they sometimes nest in colonies. According to BugGuide: “Typically ground-nesters, with nests formed in clay soil, sandy banks of streams, etc. Most species are polylectic (collecting pollen from a variety of unrelated plants).” BugGuide also notes: “A few species are attracted to sweat, and will sometimes sting if disturbed, though the sting is not very painful.”