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bees demonstrating the facts of life.
anyone know what species or where to find that?

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Hi,

Can you tell us the size of these bees and when and where you made this picture? Is the beginning of the abdomen of the male reddish?

Theo Peeters tells it looks like Lasioglossum spec. With a little more information he may be able to tell the species name.

Jan Willem

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Hi Jan Willem,
The animals were tiny, I never thought they were bees when I first spotted them, that small! Can you see the hairs on the leaves?

The picture was taken yesterday in Rotterdam.

What details can help? I took more pictures because it is very hard to get both male and female in focus at the same time.

I cannot realy see any reddish parts of any significant size.

Here is another view:



and the wings:

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I will forward the additional information to Theo Peeters. I will let you know his response.

Jan Willem

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Basal vein is no visible : Halictidae???????????

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The photo shows to bees of the genus Lasioglossum (Halticinae). Normally, a species recognition by foto is difficult or impossible, but in this case it may be a Lasioglossum sexcinctus (or a closely related species). A special character are the dense apical bands on terga, which are uncommon in Lasioglossum. But this identification is only an idea, and not a 100% identification.
best regards, Christian Schmid-Egger
www.bembix.de

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Thanks all so far,

Also Halictus tumulorum and Halictus confusus were suggested to me, do you think that is an other possibilty?

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Wait response from Pauly!

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From Pauly, sp.is interesting!

Where from, when, please,

Thanks! Camille

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Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Last week.
In a botanical gardens on some kitchen-herb. Maybe Melissa officinalis

Thanks Camille, I'll wait patiently ;)

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Lasioglossum sextrigatum from Pauly!

If possible please, with your leave, photo for the Atlas Hymrnoptera on line, Prof. RASMONT & Barbier, University Mons Hainaut Belgium!

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Thanks Pauly and Camille for finding the name for me.