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Photo#89344
Green Bee? - Euglossa dilemma - female

Green Bee? - Euglossa dilemma - Female
North Lauderdale, Broward County, Florida, USA
November 24, 2006
Euglossa viridissima. Neotropical orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini) have been reported only twice from the United States of America; once near Brownsville, Texas and more recently near Silverbell, Arizona. In each case, a single male Eulaema polychroma Mocsáry 1899 had strayed north of the border from breeding populations in northern Mexico.

During the summer of 2003, however, several male Euglossa viridissima Friese 1899 were trapped around Fort Lauderdale, Florida, by USDA employees in the fruit fly monitoring program and sent to the Florida State Collection of Arthropods for identification. To date, more than 50 males and several females have been reported. Neither the exact location of the introduction nor the current distribution in Florida is known. However, observations point to an accidental introduction around Butterfly World, Coconut Creek, Broward County--likely as a nest inside a wooden object (shipping pallet, bamboo furniture etc.)--followed by a southward spread to Dade County in 2004.

(description found @ http://www.bioone.org/perlserv/?request=get-document&issn=0015-4040&volume=088&issue=02&page=225)

I just saw one of these bees
I just saw one of these bees in my yard in Tarpon Springs, FL (Gulf Coast). It hovered about 12 inches in front of my face for about 30 seconds, and it seemed to be staring at me. It went away, then came back again and did the same thing. It was very beautiful.

Neotropical orchard bee
I have had two of them in my house in the last two days. I live in a suburb of Cleveland Ohio. I would post a picture, however, I don't see an option to do that. It is the bee pictured in this site though...

Beautiful Bee
I have many beautiful butterflies in my yard along with several types of bees but sitting on my front porch and watching this bee was a real treat. I live on the western edge of Wellington, Fl in Palm Beach county.

 
Just saw one in lakeland fl 3
Just saw one in lakeland fl 33801 and was so shocked didn't even take a pic

Just found one in Miramar, Florida
Just found one of these beauties in our garden. Took a couple of pictures. Very beautoful bee! Never seen one before.

Caught one of these on my porch yesterday
I caught this exact bee on my porch in Vero Beach, FL yesterday and have a photo - a little blury but you can get the just of it. put some flowers in the jar with it and the long tongue immediately found its way into the flower - looked similar to a butterfly's tongue.

Clearwater, FL; Pinellas County sighting
I just got stung by one this morning & caught it in a bottle, so I could look it up. Fascinating!

Green Bee
I saw one at Cibolo Creek Nature Center in Boerne Texas on Saturday June 14th. First time I have ever seen one. Did not get a chance to photo it.

 
I noted one on some pumpkin p
I noted one on some pumpkin plants a couple of months ago. I do not know exactly the species, but it certainly looked like this. I thought maybe I'd see more, but no luck so far...

E. viridissima or E. Dilemma?
it's too adventurer say that it's E. dilemma because that specie is almost the same that E. viridissima exept in males where you can make a difference with the number of teeth, in females (this case) it's even harder the only way to make a id is using an dna analisis, but E. viridissima is most common, so bet on it.
more info:
Eltz T., Fritzsch F., Ramírez-Pech J., Zimmermann Y., Ramírez S., Quezada-Euán J. J. G., Bembé B. 2011. Characterization of the orchid bee Euglossa viridissima (Apidae: Euglossini) and a novel cryptic sibling species, by morphological, chemical, and genetic characters. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.163: 1064–10

Florida euglossa viridissima
We've had these glorious green bees for at least 10 years in Volusia County. I've had boxes up and active for at least that long. When my lotus and angel trumpets are in bloom there are always at least 5 at a time working each flower. Looking forward to their return in a few weeks.

San Antonio, TX
We saw one today just after a light rain, in the last few blooms on our bolted basil. We've also had tiny black bees in large quantities pollinating the basil, but this is the first time for the green bee.

Greenish blue bee
Ok I'm just posting as a warning. They at a pretty insect with a powerful sting. Guys, guys, guys....I found one. OUCH!

Found in Ohio!
I found one of these awsome little bees on my back porch in Upper Sandusky Ohio! But i only see people commenting in other states like Florida, Texas, Mexico and New York. Just thought id let you all know they are in Ohio too! But please feel free to e-mail me at jaybird462011@hotmail.com if they are not supost to be here :)

Just saw one in San Antonio, TX
Saw in garden. Thought it was a fly at first but then it was going into the tomato flowers and got a closer look and was acting just like bee and looks like a bee so I looked up online and found this. Interesting. Can't say I've ever seen one before but it's welcome to stay as long as it wants.

Just sighted on this morning!
I've never seen this bee before! Thought it was a fly until I put my glasses on. Beautiful color and rather small. Seen in Palmdale, CA, north of Los Angeles.

2 in oakland park florida
I live in Oakland park/ ft Lauderdale area and was just trimming my basil plant and got startled by two of these hovering around the plant and landing several times. I stood still watching them for a good 5 mins. So beautiful and didn't even know these existed!

one in citrus county FL
Was just out front, there was one in the sunflowers. There was also a black & greyish white.not sure if that would be relevant.

Just saw one in Canada, BC -Vancouver Island
Couldn't say it didn't stick out like a sore thumb... Was going to keep it, but it got away. My brother took a picture.

Neon Green Bee
I saw one today gathering pollen from a Wandering Jew. His pollen sacks were full and yellow. He was small but caught my attention with his bright coloring. March 29, 2013. Bradenton, Florida.

got a pic of it! :)
Went back out and saw 2 of em! Took a great inflight pic. Wish i could post it !

definetly just saw same bee!
My fiance and i just arrived in sarasota and saw one of these in my grandnmothers flower bed. Got a real good look too. Wish i gad my camera on me. Was cool looking. Almost glows. Bright shiny greenish blue. Interesting creatures.

Green bee in Plano Texas !!
Wow. It's beautiful. Just found one on my front yard wildflower display. Colored as if a green fly....but with a honeybee's flight patterns. Gorgeous green mood ring colors...flashing to and fro with the sun's light.....emerald green helmet. Amazing. I had to pause and study for a few seconds just to confirm what exactly it was. I'm glad I did, because at first thought...I really thought it was some sort of fly. Very fast, darting style of flight....with the normal bee-like graceful hover we are accustomed to when alight on a pollen frond. Wild. "Its a double rainbow" kind of day. Thanks Google for directing me here during my query.

Found One
Me and my boyfriend found a dead green bee on the ground in Arcata, California. I think it's a male, and the stinger is still in it. We've got it in a little box, show it to people. I had never seen one before. It's quite fascinating.

 
Male sting
Just an FYI: Male bees don't have a stinger. The stinger in bees are a modified ovipositor (an organ used to lay eggs) which males don't possess. Just thought you'd like to know to help you in your identification of bees. If it stung you it's a female. Incidentally the same goes for ants, wasps and mosquitoes.

I saw one of these Sunday in
I saw one of these Sunday in my flower garden. I was startled at first then hypnotized by the beauty and strangeness. I live in Lake City, Florida. It is in north central Florida where I-10 and I-75 intersect. Glad he didn't sting me. I followed him for a while, of course my camera and phone were on the back porch!

Green Bee in Parkland, Florida
We live about 5 miles from Butterfly World and my daughter was just stung by one of these. She kept insisting that it was green and then I saw him lying on the ground. We trapped and bagged him. He is very pretty but his sting sure hurts.

Green bees
Spotted 3 or 4 green bees in Bradenton, FL (south of Tampa Bay). At first, I thought they were mutant horseflies. They are much faster than the common honeybee, so I couldn't snap a photo. We've recently had a few cool nights here due to a late spring snow fall up north which could be driving them further south. The pretty visitors are welcome to our garden anytime.

Green Honey Bee
I just saw a beautiful specimen of this in Englewood, Florida in my Dad's front yard on Jan. 6, 2012. It was a perfect replica of a honey bee albeit slightly smaller. The black stripes were quite prominent as on a honey bee but the base color was an amazing neon green! It also had the accumulation of pollen on its legs as did the other honey bees it was flying around with. I would say that it flew faster and collected the pollen a little faster than the other bees but I am not exactly sure of that.

Green bee
I just found a green bee on my flowers in the back patio. I live in north Texas

I jus got stung by one!
Hi I live in Puerto Vallarta and one of this bees I have never seen before just stung me!

It is a beautiful kind!

FOUND ONE!
i just found one in my front yard, in a white rose
it was just flyin around
my house is in melbourne florida

Green bee
I just found one in my apartment - in New York. Hes sitting on the wall. He let me snap several pictures of him before smacking into me (and scaring me) while flying away to another part of the wall.

We have had an annoying sound coming from the bookshelf or wall over the past few days - a slight knocking sound, but repetitive like a woodpecker. I was wondering if it could of been him? I certainly hope its not another bug.

Its getting to be fall - I feel kind bad that he's gonna have such a sad life away from his tribe, cold.

green bee
unfortunately I found one in stuart florida - they sure sting

 
Green bee
I found one in our apartment in Stuart Florida.
My kids and I let it go.

 
Green Bees
I was stung by a green bee while I was dressing for work, it seems like he was in the shirt sleeve and stung me on my upper arm. It's two days later and it still stings, I just put some meat tenderizer on it and that stopped the stinging.
I have never seen a green bee before.

Euglossa (Euglossa) viridissima Friese, 1899
female (note the corbicula)

a recent arrival from the Neotropics

the very long tongue is characteristic of Euglossini (orchid bees)

 
wow!
thanks so much! i'm glad i found this site! i posted the pic to be identified before i looked around and i found the bee on here! seems to be a green orchid bee.

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