orchid bee green butt, m, leg, guyana

Euglossa....the orchid bees, swanky glintlings of the New World tropical forests. The males gather fragrances produced by orchids who are then pollinated by the infatuations of these males. The males ultimately transfer the fragrances to the modified hind legs where they are stored in the small slot like area you can see in these picture surrounded by black hairs. This one from our joint trip with the Smithsonian Ant Heads to the interior of Guyana rainforests. More species being discovered each year.Canon Mark II 5D, Zerene Stacker, Stackshot Sled, 65mm Canon MP-E 1-5X macro lens, Twin Macro Flash in Styrofoam Cooler, F5.0, ISO 100, Shutter Speed 200, link to a .pdf of our set up is located in our profile