| Halictus scabiosae | |
|---|---|
| Halictus scabiosae - Female - Museum specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Subphylum: | Hexapoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hymenoptera |
| Family: | Halictidae |
| Genus: | Halictus |
| Species: | H. scabiosae |
| Binomial name | |
| Halictus scabiosae (Rossi, 1790) |
|
Halictus scabiosae is a species of Sweat Bees belonging to the family Halictidae subfamily Halictinae.
This species is present in most of Europe and in North Africa.
The abdomen is long, with yellowish stripes and a double band on tergites two and three. The legs are yellow and antennae are entirely black and curved at the apex.
These mining bees nest on the ground in hardened paths. Normally they dig vertical tunnels in the ground, with a circular entrance surrounded by a cone of earth. In most cases a single female of Halictus scabiosae use a single nest, but sometimes they have a primitive social organization, with multiple females reproducing in a common nest. They are used to nest at a particular site in many colonies.