Medium-large metallic green euglossine bee; males bright emerald to bronze with expanded rhomboid hind tibiae that store perfumes, and brush-like fore-tarsal setae used to mop aromatic oils. Females duller, with denser pilosity and pollen-carrying scopae. Body length typically 13–18 mm; individuals around ~15 mm are common in Mesoamerica. Proboscis long for suction feeding; wings clear, rapid hovering flight. Males often perch and display near scented resources; both sexes visit deep-tubed flowers. Distinctive white labial marks in males; no worker caste (non-eusocial).
Yes. Males have enlarged perfume-storage tibiae and engage in display/territorial behavior; females lack perfume organs and provision nests.
~15 mm (range ≈ 13–18 mm)
Data deficient (Euglossa spp. span ~29–302 mg; species-specific means not published)
Adults commonly weeks to ~1–2 months (mark–recapture recoveries up to 6–8 weeks)
Not enough data
Not enough data
At eclosion (adult stage)
Year-round in humid lowlands; activity peaks in wet season (bait studies in Costa Rica show seasonal variation)
Solitary/communal nests; clutch size per cell data deficient for this species
Medium-large metallic green euglossine bee; males bright emerald to bronze with expanded rhomboid hind tibiae that store perfumes, and brush-like fore-tarsal setae used to mop aromatic oils. Females duller, with denser pilosity and pollen-carrying scopae. Body length typically 13–18 mm; individuals around ~15 mm are common in Mesoamerica. Proboscis long for suction feeding; wings clear, rapid hovering flight. Males often perch and display near scented resources; both sexes visit deep-tubed flowers. Distinctive white labial marks in males; no worker caste (non-eusocial).
Humid lowland to premontane forests (often along rivers, second-growth, plantations with floral resources); recorded widely across Costa Rica. Males readily sample at baits (cineole, eugenol, methyl salicylate).
Pollinator & nectar feeder. Males gather volatile perfumes; both sexes take nectar; females collect pollen. This bee pollinates many orchids (esp. Stanhopeinae such as Coryanthes/Stanhopea/Gongora).
Sociality: Solitary to communal nesting documented within the genus; E. imperialis lacks a worker caste (species-specific nesting data scarce).
Activity: Diurnal; males perch/defend display sites and patrol around perfume sources; both sexes hover-feed at deep flowers.
Communication: Males compile and release perfume blends during displays; blends are partly learned and species-typical.
Males build personal perfume blends and can learn/remember specific scents they’ve collected.
Some perfumes come from non-floral sources (rotting wood, fungi, sap, fruit); not just orchids.
Exhibits long-distance movements and genetic connectivity across human-modified landscapes in Costa Rica.
Uses suction feeding rather than lapping—an adaptation to deep flowers; hovering physiology is well studied.
