Adults are roughly 10–14 mm long.
Fine-art photographic collection
Euglossa heterosticta
An orchid bee whose first known nest overturned assumptions about its entire species group.
About this species
Euglossa heterostictaMoure, 1968
Information reviewed15 July 2026
Euglossa heterosticta was known from males for decades before a discovered nest revealed the female and brood biology. The nest was suspended openly rather than hidden in a cavity, an unprecedented architecture for its species group.
Taxonomy
Animalia · Arthropoda · Insecta · Hymenoptera · Apidae · Euglossini · Euglossa
Accepted as Euglossa heterosticta. “Orchard bee” in the CSV is not used as a common name. · checked 2026-07-15
Western Amazonia, documented in PeruBroad range and selected reference localities — not a complete occurrence map.
Western Amazonia, documented in Peru
Tropical rainforest and forest edge.
Diurnal, fast-flying and flower-visiting.
Females collect pollen and nectar; males collect volatile fragrances from flowers and other sources.
Solitary or weakly communal nesting, depending on nest occupancy.
What makes this species remarkable?
Its first described nest hung exposed in the open—the first aerial nest recorded from a lineage previously characterised as cavity-nesting.
Males and females emerged from that nest, allowing scientists to describe the female for the first time long after the species had been named.
Males collect volatile perfumes in specialised hind-leg pockets and later release the blend during courtship displays.
Sources and scientific references
More photographs
3