TONGUE. This is Euglossa imperialis it, like the rest of its clade of shiny orchid bees, has a long tongue, actually … this species has a particularly long tongue even compared to other orchid bees. Pretty simple. It sucks nectar with that long tongue from deep throated flowers that other bees often can't reach (because they usually have dinky lapping tongues). As a male it does not gather pollen, but it does have a trick that other bees don't have in that tucked into its expanded hind tibia is a little sachet (note: this is not a technical term) that it stashes various smelly oils and other chemicals to woo orchid bee women. In the American humid tropics they are big time common (as a group). Tim McMahon (whose gets his bank as a government engineer, but in his heart is a complete bee head) collected this in Costa Rica on his annual pilgrimage. Photo by Jade Louis. ~~{{{{{{0}}}}}}~~
All photographs are public domain, feel free to download and use as you wish.
