Image Credit: Ronnie Pitman
Turret-making Green Sweat Bees (Halictidae: Augochlorella, Augochlora)
Both sexes of these genera are a reflective brilliant green. They differ from Agapostemon by their notched eyes and the absence of a transverse waist ridge. This group of bees is especially prominent in the tropics and temperate zones of South America. We have only 2 very rare species in the Pacific Northwest. Both are primitively eusocial like Halictus, but likely to be solitary this far north. They are ground-nesters and have the general propensity to construct nest entrances with a distinctive turret (about 2-3 times the length of the bee).
Both the male (left) and the female (right) are entirely bright metallic green. They differ from the genus Agapostemon by the deep emarginations in the facial border of their compound eyes.