An international team of scientists has discovered a new species of the Lasioglossum genus of bees that lives in the sand dunes of Israel. The family to which it belongs, Halictidae (commonly known as sweat bees ), is the largest of all the bee genera.
Most of these species nest on the ground, but some do so on rotten logs.
The newly discovered species, called Lasioglossum dorchini, has only been seen in Israel’s central coastal plain.
“The locality located in the Nahal Alexander National Park is characterized by semi-stabilized sand dunes typical of Israel’s central coastal plain. The park was planted in part with non-native eucalyptus trees in the mid-1960s , mainly Eucalyptus camaldulensis ”, clarifies Yael Mandelik, from the Entomology Department of the Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
“The bees were collected in the northwestern part of the park, during the spring (February-April). Most of the specimens were captured with plate traps and some others were collected with nets while visiting flowers ”, the authors explain.
Lasioglossum dorchini is a very small bee, about 6mm long.
“Beyond the professional excitement of discovering a new species that was previously unknown to science, this finding has broader applicative value in helping us better understand bee communities, their habitat requirements, and the pollination services they can provide. ”Concludes Mandelik.
Referencia: Alain Pauly et al. 2020. Lasioglossum dorchini (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Halictidae) a new species of bee from Israel. Belgian Journal of Entomology 105: 1-24
