Pure Green Sweat Bee

Pure Green Sweat Bee

Augochlora pura

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at New York City

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

425 Verified sightings at New York City
56 In all 3 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Pure Green Sweat Bee

Augochlora pura is a solitary sweat bee found primarily in the Eastern United States. It is known for its bright green color and its tendency to forage on a variety of plants. Inhabiting rotting logs, this bee can produce up to three generations per year. Both males and females have been observed licking sweat from human skin, most likely seeking salt.

Augochlora pura was recently suggested the common name Pure Green Sweat Bee, but about it has been written that "...it does not seem to need one with such a musical scientific designation that means 'pure golden green.'"

Within Halictidae, 4 subfamilies, 81 genera, and over 4,000 species have been defined. About 1,000 of the species in the genera Halictus, Lasioglossum, Augochlora, and Augochlorella, are eusocial. Both males and females are approximately 8 mm long. Over most of the range of the species, their entire bodies are a shiny, bright green, in contrast to many Lasioglossum species such as L. zephyrus, which are a dull metallic green. Male Augochlora pura tend to have darker mandibles and may be slightly more bluish than females, but otherwise, males and females... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Great Smoky Mountains National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 Shenandoah National Park 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Everglades National Park 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Boston 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
2 New York City 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
3 Washington 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
4 Baltimore 🇺🇸 United States
~10%
5 Montreal 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
6 Philadelphia 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
7 Toronto 🇨🇦 Canada
<5%
8 Chicago 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
9 Miami 🇺🇸 United States
<5%
10 Minneapolis [Saint Paul] 🇺🇸 United States
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Pure Green Sweat Bee in New York City?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pure Green Sweat Bee sighting in New York City on a given day, based on 425 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 100th most-seen of the 1623 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Pure Green Sweat Bee in New York City?

April–May and July–November

In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Pure Green Sweat Bee in New York City on a given day, against under 5% in June and December–March, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Pure Green Sweat Bee?

Between 1 and 4 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Pure Green Sweat Bee sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is New York City the best place to see a Pure Green Sweat Bee?

Among the best

Of the 10 cities where we can rate Pure Green Sweat Bee sightings, New York City ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Boston (United States, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Pure Green Sweat Bee live in New York City?

Same family: Halictidae

The closest relatives of the Pure Green Sweat Bee that you can see in New York City (family Halictidae, Sweat Bees) are Ligated Furrow Bee (about 10%) and Bicolored Striped Sweat Bee (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Pure Green Sweat Bee sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Pure Green Sweat Bee is recorded against all the insects logged in New York City (425 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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