Evolving Orchids Needed Bees but Not Vice Versa (6 of 9) (IMAGE)

American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Evolving Orchids Needed Bees but Not Vice Versa (6 of 9)

Caption

Close up image of the mid tibia of a male orchid bee. This particular species, Euglossa paisa, was recently discovered in the mountains of Colombia. Males use the patch of hairs in their middle leg to spread volatile chemicals that they accumulate from orchids, other plants, and fungi. The females use this chemical information to choose mates. This image relates to an article that appeared in the Sept. 23, 2011, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by S.R. Ramírez; Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., and colleagues was titled, "Asynchronous Diversification in a Specialized Plant-Pollinator Mutualism."

Credit

Image courtesy of S. Ramírez, 2005

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