Euglossa hyacinthina

Euglossa hyacinthina
Female shaping resin along the rim of the growing nest envelope
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hymenoptera
Family: Apidae
Genus: Euglossa
Species:
E. hyacinthina
Binomial name
Euglossa hyacinthina
Dressler, 1982

Euglossa hyacinthina, is a species of the orchid bee tribe Euglossini in the family Apidae.[1] With a tongue that can get up to as long as 4 cm, this orchid bee species is found in Central America.[1] Living in a neotropical climate, E. hyacinthina has adapted to hot and humid weather. The bee has darkly shaded, translucent wings and a metallic, glossy blue skeleton.

"Medium sized, large body stature, long-tongued, and fast," E. hyacinthina is characterized by its eusociality and unique solitary life-style.[2] Additionally, this species has no worker or queen bees and females dominate in an atypical social hierarchy. The many individual nests of E. hyacinthina reveal the sociality of the bees, and the origin of this can be discovered by studying these nests.[3] E. hyacinthina may also be part of mimicry complexes within Euglossa.

  1. ^ a b Capaldi, E.; Flynn, C. (2007). "Sex Ratio and Nest Observations of Euglossa hyacinthina (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini)" (PDF). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society. 80 (4): 395–399. doi:10.2317/0022-8567(2007)80[395:sranoo]2.0.co;2. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  2. ^ Eltz, T.; Roubik, D.W.; Whitten, M. (2003). "Fragrances, male display and mating behaviour of Euglossa hemichlora: a flight cage experiment" (PDF). Physiological Entomology. 28 (251–260). The Royal Entomological Society. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
  3. ^ Soucy, L.; Giray, T.; Roubik, D. (2003). "Solitary and group nesting in the orchid bee Euglossa hyacinthina (Hymenoptera, Apidae)" (PDF). Insectes Sociaux. 50 (3): 248–255. doi:10.1007/s00040-003-0670-8. Retrieved September 22, 2015.