Some bees are so small that to identify them, one needs to look at them through the lens of a microscope. This little specimen is a male Lasioglossum dispersum, a type of sweat bee found in the caribbean. The second part of their name (or specific epithet)  refers to how dispersed the species is. It can be found anywhere from Puerto Rico to the U.S and British Virgin islands. The bee pictured was found in Puerto Rico right next to a beach site while it was hard at work collecting pollen, which is why you can see those little yellow dots on top of it’s head and on one of its legs. 

If you want to learn more about Lasioglossum bees from Puerto Rico, I highly suggest reading: 

Gibbs, J. (2018). Bees of the genus Lasioglossum (Hymenoptera: Halictidae) from Greater Puerto Rico, West Indies. European Journal of Taxonomy, 0(400). Retrieved from https://europeanjournaloftaxonomy.eu/index.php/ejt/article/view/528/1183

[Photo and caption by Sofía Meléndez Cartagena]

[Edited by Maggie Creamer]