Author: Robertson, 1918

Type species: Apis seladonia Fabricius, 1794, by original designation.
Subgenera: Mucoreohalictus Pesenko, 2004, Pachyceble Moure, 1940, Seladonia s. str. Robertson, 1918, Vestitohalictus Blüthgen, 1961.
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
  • Main abdominal bands at the apex of the tergites
  • At least head and thorax with metallic reflections, often green or golden
Pictures of distinctive traits.
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Morphologically close genera and how to distinguish them:
  • Seladonia - Halictus
Seladonia species have at least head and thorax with golden or greenish metallic reflections. Some species terga are covered with dense appressed hairs that obscure the underlying surface (subgenera Vestitohalictus and Mucoreohalictus). In males, the apical part of the gonostylus can be bifid, with a deep longitudinal cleft forming a long thin lobe.
Halictus species have the integument black and the terga are never entirely covered with dense appressed hairs. In males, the apical part of the gonostylus is never bifid.
  • Seladonia - Lasioglossum
Seladonia 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.
  • Seladonia - Thrincohalictus
Seladonia 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).
  • Seladonia - Ceylalictus & Nomioides
Seladonia 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.
  • Seladonia - Andrena, Colletes
Seladonia species have a strongly curved basal vein.
Andrena and Colletes species have a basal vein straight or at most slightly curved.
  • Seladonia - Apidae, Megachilidae
Seladonia has short mouthparts (short-tongue morphology).
Apidae and Megachilidae have long mouthparts (long-tongue morphology)
General comments on Seladonia 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 genitalia extraction, in addition to antennae and sterna. In general, these characters should be made clearly visible.
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 28 Seladonia species found in Europe (Ghisbain et al. 2023):
Seladonia (Mucoreohalictus) cyprica (Blüthgen, 1937)
Seladonia (Mucoreohalictus) mucorea (Eversmann, 1852)
Seladonia (Mucoreohalictus) pollinosa (Sichel, 1860)
Seladonia (Mucoreohalictus) pseudomucorea (Ebmer, 1975)
Seladonia (Mucoreohalictus) tuberculata (Blüthgen, 1925)
Seladonia (Pachyceble) confusa (Smith, 1853)
Seladonia (Pachyceble) gavarnica (Pérez, 1903)
Seladonia (Pachyceble) leucahenea (Ebmer, 1972)
Seladonia (Pachyceble) tumulorum (Linnaeus, 1758)
Seladonia (Seladonia) cephalica (Morawitz, 1874)
Seladonia (Seladonia) cretella Pauly & Devalez, 2015
Seladonia (Seladonia) gemmea (Dours, 1872)
Seladonia (Seladonia) gemmella Pauly, 2015
Seladonia (Seladonia) kessleri (Bramson, 1879)
Seladonia (Seladonia) orientana Pauly & Devalez, 2015
Seladonia (Seladonia) phryganica Pauly & Devalez, 2015


Seladonia (Seladonia) seladonia (Fabricius, 1794)
Seladonia (Seladonia) semitecta (Morawitz, 1874)
Seladonia (Seladonia) smaragdula (Vachal, 1895)
Seladonia (Seladonia) subaurata (Rossi, 1792)
Seladonia (Seladonia) submediterranea Pauly, 2015
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) concinna (Brullé, 1840)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) inpilosa (Ebmer, 1975)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) microcardia (Pérez, 1895)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) pici (Pérez, 1895)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) pulverea (Morawitz, 1873)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) semitica (Blüthgen, 1955)
Seladonia (Vestitohalictus) vestita (Lepeletier, 1841)
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.