D3470: The female of the orchid bee genus Euglossa Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae, Euglossini): Systematics and functional morphology

Orchid bees (Apidae: Euglossini) are major tropical pollinators consisting of more than 200 species grouped in five genera. The genus Euglossa is the most diverse (~130 spp) and, unlike the other genera, the phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy of Euglossa rely heavily on the external morphology of the male but not the female. We discuss morphological features that appear useful in species recognition and phylogenetic reconstruction. In addition, we discuss the function of a dense setal patch on the dorsum of the mesoscutum (mesoscutellar tuft), which is found only in the female of the genera Euglossa and Eulaema. The function of this structure is unknown, but given its position on the female’s body, we suggest it might function in pre-copulatory recognition or copulatory behavior.