Arthropods Daily – Issue No. 576

The Halictidae family, also known as sweat bees, are known for nesting in the ground and mass-provisioning their young with pollen and nectar. They are important pollinators, including crops, and most species are generalists. Only female sweat bees have the ability to sting, but they are non-aggressive and are unlikely to sting unless disturbed. The family has a long evolutionary history, with fossils dating back to at least 96-75 million years ago. Currently, the family is divided into four subfamilies, with over 2000 known species.