Smithsonian: The Evolution of the Orchid and the Orchid Bee
Photo Credit: S. Ramirez
When scientists delve into studies of the co-evolution of plants and their pollinators, they have something of a chicken/egg problem—which evolved first, the plant or its pollinator? Orchids and orchid bees are a classic example of this relationship. The flowers depend on the bees to pollinate them so they can reproduce and, in return, the bees get fragrance compounds they use during courtship displays (rather like cologne to attract the lady bees). And researchers had thought that they co-evolved, each species changing a bit, back and forth, over time.
Posted by WILDNEWJERSEY at 10/1/2011 10:00 AM 
Categories: Invertebrates
Tags: orchids orchid bee Insects pollinators pollination
Categories: Invertebrates
Tags: orchids orchid bee Insects pollinators pollination
Orchid bees are really cool! In 2007 we radio tracked individual orchid bees in the rainforest on Barro Colorado Island in Panama and attempted to shed light on the coevolution of orchid bees and orchids. The published study is available for free at http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0010738
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