# Golden Sweat Bee

*Augochlorella aurata*

They are called sweat bees because they are attracted to human perspiration, which they lap up to obtain essential salts and minerals.

- **Taxonomy:** Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hymenoptera › Halictidae › Augochlorella
- **IUCN Red List status:** Least Concern
- **Population trend:** stable
- **Biome:** grassland
- **Habitat:** Meadows, fields, gardens, forest edges, and urban parks.
- **Diet:** Nectar and pollen from a wide variety of wildflowers, especially Asteraceae.
- **Range:** North America, United States, Canada, Central America
- **Size:** 5 to 7 mm in length.
- **Lifespan:** Several months for workers; up to one year for overwintering queens.
- **Active:** diurnal
- **Threats:** Pesticide use, habitat fragmentation, and the decline of native wildflower populations.
- **Safe to approach?:** Harmless and non-aggressive. Females can sting if trapped or pressed against the skin, but the sting is very mild (like a tiny spark). Observe from any distance. If stung, wash the area with soap and water; apply ice if minor swelling occurs.

## About

Augochlorella aurata is a species of sweat bee in the family Halictidae.

## Sources

- Plate: https://gaia-dex.com/species/62ac0477-3ddb-4780-82b1-e3c8df7ffbbb
- iNaturalist: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/133766
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augochlorella aurata
- Conservation status: IUCN Red List category, as recorded by Gaia-Dex
- Photo: https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/42070178/medium.jpg (Owen Strickland, CC-BY, via iNaturalist)

Habitat, diet, size and similar notes are AI-written summaries; check them against the linked sources before relying on them.