Halictus minutissimus (Kirby)

Halictus minutissimus (Kirby), ( Lasioglossum minutissimum; Evylaeus minutissimus)

Description.

Tiny blackish bee (total length c. 5 mm in both sexes, wing length 3,5-4 mm in females and 3-3,5 mm in males); males with entirely dark hind legs (Fig. 8 a–b).

Distinguishing features.

Smallest of the Halictus species in the Azores, behaviour more hectic than other bees.

General distribution.

West- and Central Europe.

Distribution in the Azores.

Faial, São Miguel, Terceira.

First record.

1986 (first mentioned by Ebmer 1988).

Nesting .

Ground nests, sometimes in large aggregations.

Social behaviour.

Solitary.

Foraging.

Polylectic, observed on Asteraceae ( Erigeron karvinskianus).

Phenology.

July.

Material.

Faial (Horta), July 1986, 1 female, leg. Aptroot, det. Ebmer, coll. Mus. Leiden (Ebmer 1988); São Miguel (Ponta Delgada), July 1992, leg. Wirtz, det. Warncke (Wirtz 1994, not seen).