Hand blown bottle containing a reproduction of the perfume male orchid bees display to attract a mate.

Male euglossine, found in Central and South America, fly up to 30 miles and visit multiple odor sources to create unique perfume blends that contain 30-40 different scent compounds. Once the bees have accumulated sufficient quantities of their precious scent compounds, they perform an elaborate courtship display in which they expose and disperse their scents for females, who chose mates with the most attractive perfume blends.
Besides collecting compounds that humans consider attractive, such as benzoins, eugenols, and anisols, the bees collect scents that humans consider offensive, such as compounds from feces, and insecticides. These compounds are used for the perfume’s base notes, much as we might use civet to add base notes to human perfumes.

As each orchid species has a single, species-specific pollinator, these displaced compounds suggest profound consequences for over 200 described species of orchids and bees, as well as yet to be described species that are in danger of going extinct even as they are being discovered.

The perfume Euglossa sp., a collaboration with orchid bee researcher Dr. Santiago Ramirez and pollination biologist Dr. Peter Wetherwax, is an all-natural fragrance inspired by the complex perfumes male orchid bees use to attract a mate. It is a honeyed, earthy scent composed of florals, pollen, spices and deep forest, with a trace of petroleum and pesticides.