Nomia iridescens

Nomia iridescens, part of the sweat bee family, gets its name from the striking, metallic-colored bands that wrap around its abdomen. These multi-colored stripes reflect light, often showing vibrant hues of blue, green, or copper against the rest of its dark body.

Unlike honeybees that live in communal hives, Nomia iridescens is a solitary, ground-nesting bee. Females dig vertical tunnels in the soil to create individual brood cells where they lay their eggs and leave a ball of pollen for the larvae to eat.

While they are known as sweat bees and may occasionally land on a human to drink perspiration, they are generally non-aggressive. Only the females are capable of stinging, and they will typically only do so if severely provoked or physically crushed.

Nomia iridescens belongs to the Halictidae family, which encompasses a massive variety of small to medium-sized bees. Many bees in this family are incredibly important pollinators for both wild flora and commercial agricultural crops.