Eufriesea surinamensis

Eufriesea surinamensis belongs to the tribe of euglossine bees and as such is a species of orchid bee. This should not be mistaken with the species group surinamensis, which includes Ef. surinamensis among other Eufriesea species. These bees have been observed to return to their nests from distances as far as 23 km. Eufriesea surinamensis was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The genera Eufriesia and Euplusia were combined in 1979 by Kimsey. The genus Eufriesea, consisting of 52 species, was later reviewed by Kimsey in 1982. Euglossine bees are a relatively new group of bee, sharing a common ancestor with the Bombini, one of the four tribes of corbiculate bee that have a pollen basket. The genus Eufriesia is the second largest within the Euglossini tribe. It is challenging to distinguish between the over fifty Eufriesea species, particularly since the females mimic each other. Within the surinamensis group it is very difficult to distinguish between females of different species. Ef. surinamensis are characterized by their long tongue and yellow hindtibial posterior fringe. The forehead and thorax are black with a colorful, metallic face; the labrum is also rounded. One can distinguish between the two sexes by looking at the ridges on the clypeus. Males have three, while females only have one. Also, a female's clypeus is not depressed at the tentorial pits. Males are approximately 16–19 mm in length, with a tongue of about 13–14 mm long. Ef. surinamensis can be distinguished from other Euglossine species by the knob above their hindtibial spurs and by the darkened medial cell in their wings. Their tongues can be anywhere from 68% to greater than 80% of their body length. Each female cares for her own nest, though she may build nests in close proximity to other females due to limited availability of good locations. Female bees construct aggregated nests of varying sizes out of mud, bark, and resin. Nests are typically located in sheltered locations such as small crevices found in cliffsides and cracks in trees. They have also adapted to humans by creating their nests below buildings, within walls and under bridges. Though females nest in aggregations, this is due more to lack of suitable locations than any social interactions. They work independent of each other, though they nest adjacent to each other. Nests are typically a linear series of cells with an outer layer made using bark and a smooth inner layer of wax. These bees are commonly found in the neotropical regions throughout Mexico, Central America and South America.