Embreea Orchid

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Embreea herrenhusana is an epiphytic orchid from Ecuador boasting enormous, incredibly fragrant flowers. As an epiphyte, it thrives on another plant, relying solely on that host for structural support yet not a single nutrient. Its intricate fragrance has evolved to captivate male euglossine bees, which tirelessly collect these scents throughout the jungle. Their driving force? Unrelenting sex appeal! Female euglossines are notoriously selective; they favor males who are physically robust and possess an irresistible aroma. These female euglossine bees gauge a potential mate's biological fitness by assessing the complexity of the fragrance blend male bees assemble from foraging floral scents in the dense jungle undergrowth. This remarkable object originates from Smithsonian X 3D, made available under a Share Alike, Non-Commercial license. For more information and comprehensive educational resources surrounding this object, please visit this link: https://3d.si.edu. We invite you to share photographs of your work with us below!