Photo: Karim Strohriegl / CC BY

Lasioglossum laeve

Shiny-gastered Furrow Bee

A small, slender, shiny black sweat bee (6–8 mm) with sparse white hair bands on the abdomen. It is a generalist forager visiting Asteraceae, Apiaceae, and Caprifoliaceae. It nests in self-excavated burrows in sparsely vegetated soil in dry meadows and ruderal areas. In Switzerland it is classified as endangered (EN) and is found in scattered localities in warm lowland areas, particularly in dry grasslands and fallow vineyards.