What will happen to the future of the Euglossine bees due to their

migration from Mexico to Florida?

By: Melissa Whistleman

Perfume Orchids

Mandevilla tomentosa

Perfume Orchids

• Only some orchids in the Orchidaceae family produce floral scents on their lips

• All orchids are similar in the arrangement of parts although, they differ in their structures, size, and appearance

Examples of Orchids from The Smithsonian

The Euglossine Bee

Research

• Ramirez questioned if the migration of the Euglossine bees, caused any differences in the bee’s perfume collecting.

Relationship between Perfume Orchids and Euglossine Bees

• Individual flowers usually only target a single pollinator species, Euglossa viridissima.

• The green Euglossine orchid bees are the only species known to use the orchids scents for their mating.

• The perfume orchids rely completely on the orchid bees for pollination, but offer no nectar or food.

Euglossine Bees

• The Euglossine orchid bees were originally native to Mexico.

• The Euglossine bees can only collect the scents and pollinate specific orchid flowers; due specific mating needs.

Migration of Euglossine Bees

• The bees have recently been introduced to Florida where they are able to colonize more rapidly due to less predation

• In Florida the bees have adapted to scavenging multiple different flowers to search for the specific fragrances for mating

This graph illustrates that on average the Euglossine bees native to Mexico collected more compounds per one area than did migrated bees in Florida. This signifies that without the perfume orchids in Florida, the Euglossine bees must cover more area to collect the same amount of fragrances.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70cUZhfbjx8

Future research

• What will happen to the perfume orchids with less pollinators?

References• Dressler, R. L. (1993). Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family. Melbourne, Australia: Dioscorides.

• Gregg, K. B. 1983. Variation in floral fragrances and morphology: incipient speciation in Cycnoches. Botanical Gazette 144:566-576.

• Hinojosa-Diaz, I. A., T. P. Feria-Arroyo, and M. S. Engel. 2009. Potential distribution of orchid bees outside their native range: the cases of Eulema poychroma (Mocsary) and Euglossa viridissima Friese in the USA (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Diversity and Distributions 15:421-428.

• Pemberton, R. W., and G. S. Wheeler. 2006. Orchid bees don’t need orchids: evidence from the naturalization of an orchid bee in Florida. Ecology 87(8):1995-2001.

• Ramirez, S. R., T. Eltz, F. Fritzsch, R. Pemberton, E. G. Pringle, and N. D. Tsutsui. 2010. Intraspecific geographic variation of fragrances acquired by orchid bees in native and introduced populations. J Chem Ecol.36:873-884.

• Ramirez, S. R., D. W. Roubik, C. Skov, and N. E. Pierce. 2010. Phylogeny, diversification patterns and historical biogeography of euglossine orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100:552-572.

• Wikelski, M., J. Moxley, A. Eaton-Mordas, M. M. Lopez-Uribe, R. Holland, D. Moskowitz, D. W. Roubik, and R. Kays. 2010. Large-range movements of Neotropical orchid bees observed via radio telemetry. PlosOne 5(5):1-6.

• Williams, N. H., and C. H. Dodson. 1972. Selective attraction of male Euglossine bees to orchid floral fragrances and its importance in long distance pollen flow. Evolution 26:84-95.

• Lopez-Uribe, M. L., A. N. Green, R. Santiago, S. M. Bogdanowiez, and B. N. Danforth. 2010. Isolation and cross -species characterization of polymorphic microsatellites for the orchid bee Eulaema meriana (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini). Conservation Genet Resour :1-3.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70cUZhfbjx8. Youtube.2011. Viewed April 15,2011.