Ligated Furrow Bee
Halictus ligatus
Insecta
COMMON
Stats
- Lifespan
- A few weeks
- Size
- Small
- Diet
- Herbivore
- Activity
- Diurnal
- Social
- Colony
- Biome
- Temperate grassland
- Range
- North America
- Movement
- Flight
- Breeding
- Egg-laying
- Defense
- Venom
- Status
- Common
About
One of North America's most widespread native bees, the ligated furrow bee nests in bare or sparsely vegetated soil and exhibits facultative eusociality — a single queen can switch between solitary and cooperative breeding depending on local conditions, with summer workers helping raise late-season brood.
Life cycle
- 1.eggA small egg is laid on or near the larval food source and hatches within days or weeks.
- 2.juvenileAn immature insect feeds and molts, growing through successive instars.
- 3.subadultA near-adult insect has wing buds or near-mature form, one molt away from full size.
- 4.adultFully grown, with full wings and adult coloration.
Learn more
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Hymenoptera
- Family
- Halictidae
- Genus
- Halictus
- Species
- Halictus ligatus