The glorious species richness and subtle complexity of a group of sweat bees. Lasioglossum abundipunctum (pictured here and collected in Fossil Butte, Wyoming) is one of what seems like an endless number of similar seeming bees. I have little doubt that on a per bee basis this group of bees dominates all other native bees, but to we ever really hear about them? Nope. To small, to "boring" . How can we be ignoring a set of bees that in almost certainly produces over A TRILLION individuals north of Mexico each year. Photos by Dejen Mengis.