Halictidae, with 84 species in Belgium, is the most frequently encountered bee family from early spring to late summer, and nearly a quarter of wild bees occurring in the country belong to this family. A total of 60,338 specimens were studied from Belgium and neighboring regions such as Luxembourg. This book presents abundantly illustrated keys for identifying species. Each of them is accompanied by a short diagnose, detailed photos of the male and the female, a map of geographical distribution, a phenological graph, a commentary on the pollinated plants, the social behavior, nesting mode, habitat and status on the red lists. After analysis of our data, we find that 46% of species fall into the categories “regionally extinct” to “vulnerable”. The main causes of this scarcity are due to the intensification of agriculture and urbanization. In the conclusions and recommendations, we review some ways to improve the health of wild bee populations, with specific examples for Halictidae.
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