Euglossa bees visiting Gongora meneziana orchid, Atlantic forest, northeastern Bahia, Brazil

[ennui1812]

Wow! Shimmering beauty so wild! The sounds are wonderful too. Thank you! I love euglossine bees. I love all bees.

[penguin1137]

Aren't the bees supposed to enter the orchids to access the nectar, and then slide down the labellum? My professor was talking about this odd form of flower specialization to insect pollinators, so I was looking for a video of the act of pollination. Perhaps these bees are not the orchid bees that he was speaking of.

[7031iVi1307]

@penguin1137 The Euglossa orchid bees don't feed on nectar, the orchids don't even produce nectar. The bees lick on the surface to collect scents produced by the orchid. This behavior is only seen in male bees, so it is hypothesized that the perfume produced by the orchid is used for courtship in orchid bees.For further information look up 'Thomas Eltz' from University of Düsseldorf