Augochloropsis

Augochloropsis is a genus of brilliant, blue-green sweat bees in the family Halictidae. There are at least 140 described species in Augochloropsis. Species of the genus Augochloropsis are generally between 8 to 12 mm long and often bright green in color, with some exceptions occurring regionally, such as the deep blue and purple colors of the Augochloropsis inhabiting southeastern coastal areas of North America.   Augochloropsis species can be differentiated from other Augochlorines at the genus level by the tegulae that are punctate, D-shaped, and bent inwards. The genus Augochloropsis is restricted to the New World, and the vast majority of species of are found in the tropical and subtropical regions. A few Augochloropsis species are found in the temperate regions of North America, but no species have managed to successfully exploit niches present in the subarctic zone. Three species of Augochloropsis - A. anonyma, A. metallica, and A. sumptuosa - occur in the United States. Augochloropsis nests begin with one long main burrow, dug out of soft ground, that extends straight down. This main burrow has a lateral burrow that extends outward horizontally, perpendicular to the main. Cells all hang vertically down from this one lateral burrow, a sort of clustering that is common for all genera in the tribe Augochlorini. Aside from this, the overall structure of one main burrow and one lateral burrow is considered unique within the tribe. A broad spectrum of social behaviors have been observed in the tropical Augochloropsis species. These range from solitary, to communal, semisocial, and even eusocial nesting behavior. A few faunal studies have looked at North American species as well. A. sumptuosa has been studied in New Jersey and Kansas and has been found to be either communal or semisocial. Some species have even been observed to nest in aggregations, where the openings of several nests are located within just centimeters of each other. Some evidence of division of labor or partitioning of social roles to some extent has been observed within this genus. An excavated nest of A. metallica in Michigan led to the discovery of two female nest-mates with different levels of ovarian development that was determined not to be due simply to the age of the individuals. This was interpreted as strongly indicative of division of labor within this species, suggesting at least that individuals have varying levels of reproductive responsibility within a nest. This may be a larger pattern found within the social species of this genus.