Key for PNW Lasioglossum sensu lato
In our projects in western OR/WA, we can generally ID the "typical" larger species (Lasioglossum sensu stricto), for which there is a well regarded key. But the little "weak-veined" (sensu lato) Lasioglossum are a problem. One, because they represent a large fraction of our collection from prairie habitats. So we need IDs to uncover much of the pollinator diversity. Two, because there is no reliable route to IDs. You would need to consult a range of keys for the different subgenera to get close. But none of these cover Pacific Northwest species. (There is a project underway, by Joe Engler and the Oregon Bee Atlas, to develop a partial key).
So in the meantime, we need at a minimum to define taxa--species or morphospecies--that might improve the resolution of pollination networks. My attempt at this is 100 hours devoted to a pretty crude beginning. That is how taxonomy proceeds--for me at least. I have a key, and a set of supporting trait documents.
The key - Weak-veined Lasioglossum of the Prairie Pollinator Project- identifies 14 taxa, a mix of named species (mainly from barcoded specimens), and morphospecies. It is likely that the key fails to ID some species (lumping), or confounds variations that are in fact one species (splitting) . But it is a place to start.
In the process of creating the key, I needed to educate myself on the traits that typically differentiate species. These came from DiscoverLife, and various publications of Jason Gibbs and his various co-authors. So I have documents like these:
Subgenus Guide. Categories for little Lasios.
Propodeums of Lasios. An effort to simplify characters of the most important diagnostic feature.
Comparison of dialictus species in the key. Useful if you can't hold a sight picture of many things at once.
