The Pauxillum Sweat Bee (Lasioglossum pauxillum) is a common, small insect in the Halictidae family of sweat bees. It is called a sweat bee because it is attracted to the sweat of animals and humans.
The Pauxillum Sweat Bee is metallic black. It has thin, whitish abdominal bands. It has six legs, two pairs of wings, and three body parts: (1) head, (2) thorax, and (3) abdomen. Its wings are translucent (see-through). It has enlarged compound eyes.
It grows up to 1 centimetre (about half an inch) in length.
It lives in western Europe, in countries such as southern Britain, Spain, and France, and also in Morroco, Tunisia, Israel, Georgia, and Iran.
It prefers areas with sandy soil, and open habitats. The female is seen from mid-March to October, and the male is seen from late June to early July. It hibernates in winter.
It eats pollen and nectar from flowers. It is a pollinator, but it does not make honey.
It is usually crepuscular, active mostly at dawn or dusk.
The Pauxillum Sweat Bee is semi-social. This means that, instead of living in colonies of hundreds of bees, it lives in small groups.
It does not have a hive. It nests in the ground or in rotten logs. It burrows into the soil. The female looks for a site to make a nest. She constructs the nest with 6-9 horizontal cells in a short tunnel. A single egg is laid in each cell.
Location of photographs: Paris, France
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM