Lasioglossum zephyrum is a sweat bee

Sweat bee

Sweat bee is the common name for any bees that are attracted to the salt in human sweat. In its strict application, the name refers to members of the Halictidae, a large family of bees that are common in most of the world except Australia and Southeast Asia, where they are only a minor faunistic...

 of the family Halictidae

Halictidae

Halictidae is a cosmopolitan family of the order Hymenoptera consisting of small to midsize bees which are usually dark-colored and often metallic in appearance...

, found in the U.S. and Canada. It is known to be a somewhat antisocial species, and it has been shown to have a tendency to remain solitary. The species nests in underground burrows. The bee has been observed forcing open unbloomed flowers of species Xyris tennesseensis

Xyris tennesseensis

Xyris tennesseensis is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Xyridaceae known by the common name Tennessee yellow-eyed grass. It is native to a small section of the Southeastern United States, where it is known from the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Tennessee. It is threatened by the...

to extract the pollen, in order to ensure first and exclusive access.