I’ve admired the metallic sweat bees a few of you have posed recently. I wish that was what I am sharing today, but alas the only sweat bees in the yard recently have been these Furrow Bees.
Sweat Bee-Furrow Bee-Halictus sp.get their name from their nesting habit which is, you guessed it, in a furrow. How they also got their name…Although I have not experienced it, sweat bees will “lick” your sweat with specialized long tongues. I imagine that must scare the heck out of folks with apiphobia but I bet it just tickles. They hunger for salt so your perspiration is a good source. One species is described as Orange-legged but how would we know with all that gathered pollen? This genus is found in all states and provinces in North America…on a flower near you.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
The bee you’ve shown isn’t metallic but I’d say don’t sweat it.
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It’s sticky enough here today that I can’t avoid sweating it. 87% which in some parts of the world might be considered arid but for us it’s soaking. Rain on the way too.
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Send us some rain if you can manage to. We’ve had barely any in the past two months and the temperature climbs over 100° every afternoon.
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Were it in my power it would be my command. Extreme weather anywhere affects us all in some way or another.
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I can’t say which species showed up on my arm, but I’ve been licked by sweat bees, and it does tickle. It doesn’t happen often, but I can remember a few instances when it happened at work.
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Sounds like a little something pleasant to make the day more fun…bee tongue tickles.
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I’m amazed at the various solitary bees I’ve been seeing this year… a good sign, I think. I am hopeless at IDing them however!
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I wish I could claim infinite knowledge when it comes to IDing insects but in most cases I rely or at least verify with a combination of iNaturalist and then confirm it with BugGuide.net. iNaturalist is not always accurate but once you home in BG.net is pretty awesome. I admit to being lazy…I have an awful lot of guides but often take the easy route and use the online resources. I would definitely learn better using the books.I am seeing a fair number of bees and bee species but almost no butterflies.
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Interesting the regional difference… our butterfly numbers are the best in years. Maybe there are cycles of boom and bust among insect populations. A question for an entomologist!
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Nice Steve! The dark background makes your subjects stand out!
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Thanks, Reed. In this case the background was created by the flash.
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LOL, being licked by a bee sounds like a strange experience! 🙂
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Yes but I could get used to it. 🙂
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Me too…
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