Orchid Bee

Euglossa dilemma is one of about 200 species of orchid bee (tribe Euglossini) in the Neotropics. The males have evolved one of the most extraordinary courtship strategies in the animal kingdom: they collect aromatic chemicals from orchids and other sources, store them in specialized hollow chambers in their hind tibiae, and use the resulting custom 'perfume blend' to attract females. The collection process is elaborate. A male visits a male-orchid-pollinated flower (orchids in genera Stanhopea, Catasetum, Coryanthes, and others), uses his front feet to scrape volatile compounds onto specialized brushes on his front leg modifications, then transfers these chemicals into the leg pouches. He visits flowers repeatedly over weeks, mixing chemicals from different sources. The completed perfume is unique to each male — a built signature of personal effort and skill. Females select males based on perfume composition. The orchid-bee/orchid relationship is one of the most specialized obligate mutualisms in nature: many of these orchid species can only be pollinated by orchid bees, and they produce no nectar or pollen reward — only the volatile compounds the bees collect. Orchid bees also have remarkable iridescent green/blue/copper coloration from structural color.