euglossine bee

euglossine bee

▪ bee tribe
also called  orchid bee  or  long-tongued bee 

      any of a large group of brightly coloured, bees important to the ecology of New World tropical forests. Colour combinations include metallic blues, greens, and bronzes. They are noted for their long tongues and their role in the pollination of over 700 species of tropical orchids. Euglossines pollinate many flowers in the forest understory, but they also visit species in the forest canopy such as lianas and emergent trees. (See rainforest ecosystem sidebar, “.”) Their tongues, measuring up to 4 cm (1.6 inches) in some species, are used to access deep, narrow flower structures, some of which can only be reached by euglossines. Euglossine bees are common in lowland forests; in one area studied, 20 to 40 different species were recorded flying between flowers on any given day. In the lower reaches of cloud forest there are even more, but none seems specifically associated with a particular species of plant.

 In most cases, only the male bees visit and pollinate orchids. They do not feed on the nectar, pollen, or any part of the flower, but instead gather fragrant chemicals into their hind legs. The chemicals seem essential in allowing a male to successfully mate in that the odor signals to females that they are good foragers and live long enough to gather many chemical compounds found in various flowers.

      Females may be found collecting mud for nests. About half the Euglossini are Euglossa species, and the females live in small nests that house either a mother with daughters or all sisters. They neither make nor store honey, and they have no queen.

      Euglossines are one of the four “pollen basket” bee tribes, which also include bumblebees (bumblebee), honeybees (honeybee), and the stingless honey-making bees. The same chemicals that attract male bees also allow biologists to procure bees in almost any tropical American forest simply by setting out artificial attractant baits. As a result, euglossines are used in a wide variety of scientific studies that have conservation applications. The bees are also economically important, as Brazil nuts (Brazil nut) do not form unless the tree's flowers are first pollinated—a process carried out almost exclusively by euglossines.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bees and toxic chemicals — Bees can suffer serious effects from toxic chemicals in their environment. This includes various synthetic chemicals, such as insecticides and fertilizers, as well as a variety of naturally occurring chemicals from plants, such as ethanol… …   Wikipedia

  • orchid — /awr kid/, n. 1. any terrestrial or epiphytic plant of the family Orchidaceae, of temperate and tropical regions, having usually showy flowers. Cf. orchid family. 2. the flower of any of these plants. 3. a bluish to reddish purple. [1835 45; < NL …   Universalium

  • Norris H. Williams — Nacimiento 1943 Nacionalidad …   Wikipedia Español

  • Coryanthes — verrucolineata Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae …   Wikipedia

  • Eufriesea — Taxobox name = Eufriesea regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera familia = Apidae subfamilia = Apinae tribus = Euglossini genus = Eufriesea genus authority = Cockerell, 1908 diversity link = Eufriesea diversity …   Wikipedia

  • Stanhopeinae — Taxobox name = Stanhopeinae image caption = Coryanthes alborosea , a member of the subtribe regnum = Plantae divisio = Magnoliophyta classis = Liliopsida ordo = Asparagales familia = Orchidaceae subfamilia = Epidendroideae tribus = Maxillarieae… …   Wikipedia

  • Euglossa — Taxobox name = Euglossa image caption = male Euglossa sp. image width = 240px regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera familia = Apidae subfamilia = Apinae tribus = Euglossini genus = Euglossa genus authority =… …   Wikipedia

  • Eulaema — Taxobox name = Eulaema regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera familia = Apidae subfamilia = Apinae tribus = Euglossini genus = Eulaema genus authority = Lepeletier, 1841 diversity link = Eulaema diversity = c.… …   Wikipedia

  • Exaerete — Taxobox name = Exaerete regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera familia = Apidae subfamilia = Apinae tribus = Euglossini genus = Exaerete genus authority = Hoffmannsegg, 1817 diversity link = Exaerete diversity …   Wikipedia

  • Aglae — Taxobox name = Aglae regnum = Animalia phylum = Arthropoda classis = Insecta ordo = Hymenoptera familia = Apidae subfamilia = Apinae tribus = Euglossini genus = Aglae genus authority = Lepeletier Serville, 1825 diversity link = Aglae diversity =… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”