Eufriesea purpurata | |
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Lateral and dorsal views of E. purpurata | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hymenoptera |
Family: | Apidae |
Genus: | Eufriesea |
Species: | E. purpurata
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Binomial name | |
Eufriesea purpurata Mocsáry, 1896
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Synonyms | |
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Eufriesea purpurata is a species of eusocial orchid bee common in northeastern South America, particularly in the Amazon basin.[1][2] It is an important pollinator of various wild plants, and it is noted for its attraction to various synthetic compounds used by humans, including some insecticides. In the late 1970s, males of the species pestered an indigenous Amazonian community whose palm-leaf houses had been sprayed by the government with DDT, which the bees found attractive.