Outstanding in my field
Ruby Burns
Category: Invertebrates
Searching for scents
Tyler Kelly
Fast, agile, and skittish, orchid bees have no time for eager biologists. Males collect various scents they find and concoct perfumes to attract mates. So, I liberally splashed some expensive essential oils on my only spare cloth and waited. After a few hours, nothing. I returned later to find small green pinto beans buzzing around the cloth. Huzzah! But in my haste I promptly scared them all away. With patience, I strategically hid behind my cottage door and waited again. Then just before the afternoon rains I finally captured this male orchid bee (Euglossa) with orchid pollenia on his face.
