Work

First records of four orchid bee species (Hymenoptera, Apidae: Euglossini) in Ecuador

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) play a vital role as key pollinators in the Neotropical forests.Their preference for forested areas makes these bees more susceptible to environmental changes, particularly in areas under severe human impact, such as the Chocó-Darien biodiversity hotspot.This study presents new data on orchid bees within the Canandé Biological Reserve, a lowland rainforest in the Chocó region of northwestern Ecuador.At this site, four species of orchid bees were recorded for the first time in Ecuador: Euglossa bursigera Moure, 1970, Euglossa crassipunctata Moure, 1968, Euglossa villosiventris Moure, 1968 and Eufriesea macroglossa (Moure, 1965).We also provide speciesspecific information on diagnosis, distribution maps, and high-resolution images.With these records, the total number of orchid bee species recorded in Ecuador now stands at 119.

Source: Journal of Insect Biodiversity and Systematics

DOI: 10.61186/jibs.11.3.625

Authors: Alexandra D. Hernández Hernández, Marcio L. de Oliveira, David R. Diaz-Guevara, Cristina Alarcón-Ortiz, Alex Pazmiño-Palomino

Institutions: Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Central University of Ecuador

Language: English

Topic: Plant and animal studies

Subfield: Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: Clemson University, Fundación de Conservación Jocotoco, Ministerio del Ambiente, Agua y Transición Ecológica