Transcript Euglossine Orchid Bee`s Evolution

What will happen to the future of
the Euglossine bees due to their
migration from Mexico to Florida?
By: Melissa Whistleman
Perfume Orchids
Mandevilla tomentosa
Perfume Orchids
• Only some orchids in the Orchidaceae family
produce floral scents on their lips
• All orchids are similar in the arrangement of
parts although, they differ in their structures,
size, and appearance
xamples of Orchids from The Smithsonian
The Euglossine Bee
Research
• Ramirez questioned if the migration of the
Euglossine bees, caused any differences in the
bee’s perfume collecting.
Relationship between Perfume Orchids
and Euglossine Bees
• Individual flowers usually only target a single
pollinator species, Euglossa viridissima.
• The green Euglossine orchid bees are the only
species known to use the orchids scents for
their mating.
• The perfume orchids rely completely on the
orchid bees for pollination, but offer no nectar
or food.
Euglossine Bees
• The Euglossine orchid bees were originally
native to Mexico.
• The Euglossine bees can only collect the
scents and pollinate specific orchid flowers;
due specific mating needs.
Migration of Euglossine Bees
• The bees have recently been introduced to
Florida where they are able to colonize more
rapidly due to less predation
• In Florida the bees have adapted to
scavenging multiple different flowers to search
for the specific fragrances for mating
This graph illustrates that on average the Euglossine bees native to Mexico
collected more compounds per one area than did migrated bees in Florida.
This signifies that without the perfume orchids in Florida, the Euglossine
bees must cover more area to collect the same amount of fragrances.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70cUZhfbjx8
Future research
• What will happen to the perfume orchids with
less pollinators?
References
•
Dressler, R. L. (1993). Phylogeny and classification of the orchid family. Melbourne, Australia: Dioscorides.
•
Gregg, K. B. 1983. Variation in floral fragrances and morphology: incipient speciation in Cycnoches. Botanical Gazette
144:566-576.
•
Hinojosa-Diaz, I. A., T. P. Feria-Arroyo, and M. S. Engel. 2009. Potential distribution of orchid bees outside their native range:
the cases of Eulema poychroma (Mocsary) and Euglossa viridissima Friese in the USA (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Diversity and
Distributions 15:421-428.
•
Pemberton, R. W., and G. S. Wheeler. 2006. Orchid bees don’t need orchids: evidence from the naturalization of an orchid
bee in Florida. Ecology 87(8):1995-2001.
•
Ramirez, S. R., T. Eltz, F. Fritzsch, R. Pemberton, E. G. Pringle, and N. D. Tsutsui. 2010. Intraspecific geographic variation of
fragrances acquired by orchid bees in native and introduced populations. J Chem Ecol.36:873-884.
•
Ramirez, S. R., D. W. Roubik, C. Skov, and N. E. Pierce. 2010. Phylogeny, diversification patterns and historical biogeography of
euglossine orchid bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 100:552-572.
•
Wikelski, M., J. Moxley, A. Eaton-Mordas, M. M. Lopez-Uribe, R. Holland, D. Moskowitz, D. W. Roubik, and R. Kays. 2010.
Large-range movements of Neotropical orchid bees observed via radio telemetry. PlosOne 5(5):1-6.
•
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Williams, N. H., and C. H. Dodson. 1972. Selective attraction of male Euglossine bees to orchid floral fragrances and its
importance in long distance pollen flow. Evolution 26:84-95.
Lopez-Uribe, M. L., A. N. Green, R. Santiago, S. M. Bogdanowiez, and B. N. Danforth. 2010. Isolation and cross -species
characterization of polymorphic microsatellites for the orchid bee Eulaema meriana (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Euglossini).
Conservation Genet Resour :1-3.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70cUZhfbjx8. Youtube.2011. Viewed April 15,2011.