Author: Latreille, 1804

Type species: Apis quadricincta Fabricius, 1776, by designation of Richards, 1935: 170.
Subgenera: Halictus s.str. Latreille, 1804; Seladonia Robertson, 1918; Vestitohalictus Blüthgen, 1961.
Synonyms: Pachyceble Moure, 1940; Placidohalictus Pesenko, 2004.   
Clade: Anthophila
Family: Halictidae
Subfamily: Halictinae
Tribe: Halictini
Distinctive traits
  • 3 submarginal cells
  • Curved basal vein
  • Females with an apical bald furrow on T5
  • Submarginal vein 3 and recurrent vein 2 of similar width than submarginal vein 1
  • Abdominal hairs at the apex of the tergites.
Pictures of distinctive traits.
(Sorry, there is no picture available at this time. If you have some and would like to become a contributor to IDmyBee, please contact us.)
Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them:
  • Halictus - Lasioglossum
Halictus species have submarginal vein 3 and recurrent vein 2 of similar strength than submarginal vein 1. Hairs bands on the abdomen are at the apex of the segments (not always clearly visible in Seladonia and Vestitohalictus).
Lasioglossum species have submarginal vein 3 and recurrent vein 2 much less visible than submarginal vein 1. Hairs bands on the abdomen are at the basal part of the segments.
  • Halictus - Thrincohalictus
Halictus females have a truncated clypeus extended downward at each side of labrum as a small, rather sharp, impunctate projection. Males head is rarely elongated (malar space < 1x flagellum width).
Thrincohalictus females have a truncated clypeus with only a short, rounded projection. Males have a strongly elongated head (malar space > 2x flagellum width).
  • Halictus - Ceylalictus & Nomioides
Halictus species are much larger with a marginal cell pointed. Females have a furrow on T5.
Ceylalictus & Nomioides species are very small with a marginal cell rounded to truncated. Females have no furrow on T5.
  • Halictus - Andrena, Colletes
Halictus species have a strongly curved basal vein.
Andrena and Colletes species have a basal vein straight or at most slightly curved.
  • Halictus - Apidae, Megachilidae
Halictus have short mouthparts (short-tongue morphology).
Apidae and Megachilidae have long mouthparts (long-tongue morphology)
General comments on Halictus species identification
Some of the species identification criteria are located on the wing venation, head shape, legs, scutum, propodeum and first abdominal tergites. The legs and wings need to be slightly spread out to reveal these characters.
Male identification often requires sternites and genitalia extraction, in addition to antennae and tibial spurs.
Sorry, but the species identification tool is not yet available for Halictus. 
Please check the reference(s) at the bottom of the page for traditional keys.
List of the 49 Halictus species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023):
Halictus (Acalcaripes) patellatus Morawitz, 1874
Halictus (Argalictus) fatsensis Blüthgen, 1936
Halictus (Argalictus) luganicus Blüthgen, 1936
Halictus (Argalictus) senilis (Eversmann, 1852)
Halictus (Argalictus) subsenilis Blüthgen, 1955
Halictus (Halictus) brunnescens (Eversmann, 1852)
Halictus (Halictus) candiae Ebmer, 2014
Halictus (Halictus) quadricinctus (Fabricius, 1776)
Halictus (Halictus) rufipes (Fabricius, 1793)
Halictus (Hexataenites) cochlearitarsis (Dours, 1872)
Halictus (Hexataenites) frontalis Smith, 1853
Halictus (Hexataenites) fulvipes (Klug, 1817)
Halictus (Hexataenites) resurgens Nurse, 1903
Halictus (Hexataenites) scabiosae (Rossi, 1790)
Halictus (Hexataenites) sexcinctus (Fabricius, 1775)
Halictus (Monilapis) adjikenticus  Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) carinthiacus Blüthgen, 1936
Halictus (Monilapis) centaureae Ebmer, 1985
Halictus (Monilapis) compressus (Walckenaer 1802)
Halictus (Monilapis) consobrinus Pérez, 1895
Halictus (Monilapis) crenicornis Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) grossellus Ebmer, 1978
Halictus (Monilapis) gruenwaldti Ebmer, 1975
Halictus (Monilapis) langobardicus Blüthgen, 1944
Halictus (Monilapis) nicosiae Blüthgen, 1923


Halictus (Monilapis) pentheri Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) ponticus Blüthgen, 1934
Halictus (Monilapis) pseudotetrazonius Strand, 1921
Halictus (Monilapis) pyrenaeus Pérez, 1903
Halictus (Monilapis) quadripartitus Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) rossicus Ebmer, 1978
Halictus (Monilapis) sajoi Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) simplex Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Monilapis) tetrazonianellus  Strand, 1909
Halictus (Monilapis) tetrazonius (Klug, 1817)
Halictus (Platyhalictus) alfkenellus Strand, 1909
Halictus (Platyhalictus) constantinensis Strand, 1910
Halictus (Platyhalictus) fumatipennis Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Platyhalictus) graecus Blüthgen, 1933
Halictus (Platyhalictus) holomelaenus Blüthgen, 1936
Halictus (Platyhalictus) jaramielicus Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Platyhalictus) lussinicus Blüthgen, 1936
Halictus (Platyhalictus) mediterranellus Strand, 1909
Halictus (Platyhalictus) minor Morawitz, 1876
Halictus (Platyhalictus) tridivisus Blüthgen, 1923
Halictus (Protohalictus) rubicundus (Christ, 1791)
Halictus (Tytthalictus) asperulus Pérez, 1895
Halictus (Tytthalictus) maculatus Smith, 1848
Halictus (Tytthalictus) toparensis Pauly & Ortiz-Sánchez, 2017
References with identification keys for some of the species:
  • Blüthgen P. 1924. Contribucion al conocimiento de las especies espanolas de 'Halictus' (Hymenoptera Apidae). Memorias de la Real Sociedad Espanola de Historia Natural, 11(9): 332-544.
  • Ebmer A.W. 1969. Die Bienen des Genus Halictus Latr. s.l. im Grosraum von Linz (Hymenoptera Apidae). Systematik, Biogeographie, Ökologie und Biologie mit Berücksichtingung aller bisher aus Mitteleuropa bekannten Arten. Teile I-III. Naturk. Jahrb. Stadt Linz, 1969: 133-183.
  • Pesenko, Y.A., Banaszak, J., Radchenko, V.G. & Cierzniak, T. 2000. Bees of the family Halictidae (excluding Sphecodes) of Poland. Bydgoszcz. 348pp.
  • Amiet F., Herrmann M., Müller A. & Neumeyer R. 2001. Apidae 3. Halictus, Lasioglossum. . Fauna Helvetica. Centre Suisse de Cartographie de la faune, Neuchâtel. 208 pp.
  • Falk S.J. (2015) Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britain and Ireland. Bloomsbury wildlife guides. 432 p.

Online resources:
Atlas hymenoptera (World, Europe & Belgium)
BWARS (UK)
Discover Life (World)
WestPalBees (West Palearctic)
Page contributors:
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2023)
  • Adrien Perrard (Dec. 2019)

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References used to write this page:
  • Ghisbain, G., Rosa, P., Bogusch, P., Flaminio, S., Le Divelec, R., Dorchin, A., Kasparek, M., Kuhlmann, M., Litman, J., Mignot, M., Müller, A., Praz, C., Radchenko, V.G., Rasmont, P., Risch, S., Roberts, S.P.M., Smit, J., Wood, T.J., Michez, D. & Reverte, S. (2023). The new annotated checklist of the wild bees of Europe (Hymenoptera: Anthophila). Zootaxa, 5327(1), 1-147.
  • Michener, C.D. 2007. The Bees of the World, 2nd Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
  • Michez D., Rasmont P., Terzo, M., Vereecken, N. 2019. Abeilles d'Europes. Hymenoptères d'Europes, Volume 1. N.A.P. Editions.
  • Nieto, A., Roberts, S. P., Kemp, J., Rasmont, P., Kuhlmann, M., García Criado, M., ... & Michez, D. 2014. European red list of bees. Luxembourg: Publication Office of the European Union, 98.
  •  Rasmont, P., Devalez, Jelle, Pauly, A., Michez, D. & Radchenko, V.G. 2017. Addition to the checklist of IUCN European wild bees (Hymenoptera: Apoidea). Annales de la Société entomologique de France 53: 17-32.