Agapostemon Guerin-Meneville, 1844

Portman, Zachary M., Arduser, Mike, Lane, Ian G. & Cariveau, Daniel P., 2022, A review of the Augochloropsis (Hymenoptera, Halictidae) and keys to the shiny green Halictinae of the midwestern United States, ZooKeys 1130, pp. 103-152 : 103

Genus Agapostemon Guerin-Meneville

Diagnosis.

Both sexes of Agapostemon are diagnosed by the complete carina on the rear face of the propodeum (Fig. 2A, B ). Other metallic green Halictinae genera, such as Augochloropsis , can have a pair of lateral carinae (e.g., Fig. 2C ), but these are well-separated dorsally and never forming a complete carina as in Agapostemon . Females can be further recognized by having the hind tibial spurs with broad teeth. Males can be further recognized by having the metasoma black and yellow striped rather than metallic green and by having the basitarsus fused with the next tarsal segment (Fig. 2E ).

Figures

Figure 2. Characters to separate Agapostemon from Augochlorini: Complete raised carina on the rear face of the propodeum in Agapostemon A female and B male. Incomplete carina in C Augochloropsis female and D Augochlorella male E Agapostemon male hind leg with first two tarsomeres fused (red arrow pointing to point of fusion).