Bioprospecting of the Orchidaceae group and its interaction with Euglossini perfume collec- tion bees (Hymenoptera-Apidae)

Abstract

The Euglossini tribe (Hymenoptera, Apidae), is made up of a group of neotropical bees which have been grouped into 5 genera: Eufriesia, Eulaema, Euglossa, Exarete and Aglae. They are characterized by solitary lifestyle, they do not form hives, neither is there a queen and although they form nests these are small and there is no honey production. Undoubtedly one of the most significant aspects of this group of bees is their close relationship with orchids which, unlike other plant families that produce some type of food as a reward, some subtribes or genera of orchids produce aromas that are collected by the males of the different lineages of Euglossini which possibly use as trophies to mate During this study different aromatic compounds were used that are part of the aromas of the flowers to attract the males of this group bees and also collections from different museums were reviewed. As a result of this effort, relevant data were obtained on which aromas are preferred by these bees and the presence of orchid pollen (polinaries) in some of the examined insects could also be evaluated, potentially indicating how these groups interact in biology. Pollination and how narrow the synergy between Euglossini and Orchidaceae can be.