Halictus; Print; The genus Halictus is a large assemblage of bee species in the family Halictidae. The genus is divided into 15 subgenera; some of dubious monophyly; containing over 200 species; primarily in the Northern Hemisphere (a few species occur in South America; Asia and Africa). Most species are black or dark brown; sometimes metallic greenish-tinted; with apical whitish abdominal bands on the terga (the related genus Lasioglossum; which is otherwise often similar in appearance; has the abdominal hair bands located basally; not apically).