#emerald bees

[ironicallyantiquated]

Euglossa dilemma, also known as Orchid bees.

Photo taken by Nicole Tharp.

[ironicallyantiquated]

Just recently learned about orchid bees!

Orchid bees, also known as Euglossine bees, are noteworthy for their brilliant metallic coloration, primarily displayed in shades of green, gold, or blue. Most of the approximately 200 species are solitary in nature, though several are more communal and capable of exhibiting simple social behaviors. Females gather pollen and nectar as food from a variety of plants, as well as resins, mud and other materials for use in nest building. Male orchid bees have uniquely modified legs which are used to collect and store different compounds, primarily harvested from orchids, to create "fragrances." These chemicals are evidently released by the males at their display sites in order to signal their genetic quality to females nearby.

(Image source, which also happens to be quite informative!)

[katpowell]

Even Bees Dance

Well apparently my solution for not knowing what colors to add to an image is to use ALL the colors!