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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies (Hymenoptera) » Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps » Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees » Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees (Apidae) » Honey, Bumble, Longhorn, Orchid, and Digger Bees (Apinae) » Orchid Bees (Euglossini) » Typical Orchid Bees (Euglossa) » Dilemma Orchid Bee (Euglossa dilemma)

Species Euglossa dilemma - Dilemma Orchid Bee

Classification · Other Common Names · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Identification · Range · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Orchid bee in flight - Euglossa dilemma - male

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Hymenoptera (Ants, Bees, Wasps and Sawflies)

No Taxon (Aculeata - Ants, Bees and Stinging Wasps)

No Taxon (Apoidea (clade Anthophila) - Bees)

Family Apidae (Cuckoo, Carpenter, Digger, Bumble, and Honey Bees)

Subfamily Apinae (Honey, Bumble, Longhorn, Orchid, and Digger Bees)

Tribe Euglossini (Orchid Bees)

Genus Euglossa (Typical Orchid Bees)

Species dilemma (Dilemma Orchid Bee)

Other Common Names

green orchid bee or dilemma orchid bee

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

A cryptic species formerly misidentified as Euglossa viridissima

Identification

Brilliant metallic green with "inflated" hind legs, used to store floral oils. (1)

If you see their tongue, it's is nearly as long as its body. (1)

Range

Florida. Native range is Mexico to Costa Rica.

Discover Life Map

Food

Recorded on Cheilocostus and Datura. The Hosts section on its Discover Life species page lists known associations based on specimen records and images.

Life Cycle

Males visit particular species of neotropical orchids and use the fragrance for courtship.

Females build nests that may contain up to twenty cells.

Remarks

A recent arrival in Florida from the Neotropics (most likely Mexico).

First identified as Euglossa viridissima, but further study revealed that E. viridissima as previously defined consisted of two cryptic species, and the one present in Florida was new to science

Internet References

Description

University of Florida

Discover Life

Wikipedia

Works Cited

1.	The Bees in Your Backyard: A Guide to North America's Bees. Joseph S. Wilson & Olivia J. Messinger Carril. 2015. Princeton University Press.

Contributed by Martin Hauser on 11 May, 2006 - 12:18pm
Additional contributions by Beatriz Moisset, John S. Ascher, hg, Marci Hess
Last updated 6 May, 2017 - 2:19pm

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