This is the first case of an androgynous bee discovered in Ecuador. Specifically, it was found in the province of Los Ríos in the Costa region of Ecuador.
The bee belongs to the Eulaema meriana species, a type of orchid bee native to Central and South America.
It is the first time that a specimen of this species with gynandromorphism has been found. It was announced by the National Institute of Biodiversity (Inabio) together with researchers from the Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia, in Brazil, who highlighted that “this mysterious insect is an extremely rare gynandromorph.”
The right side of the bee’s head features “a large and robust jaw, adorned with a row of teeth” (which is common in females), but on its left side …
“The left half of the insect had the delicate features of a male,” say experts from the National Institute of Biodiversity Inabio.
It is easily discernible because “males have specialized morphological structures to collect fragrances for reproductive purposes, while females have structures to collect pollen and maintain their young.”
Specialists Alex Pazmiño-Palomino (INABIO) and Marcio Oliveira (INPA) highlight that this mysterious insect is an extremely rare gynandromorph.
What is this androgyny due to?
The cause could be an abnormality in the development of the embryos, a double fertilization or even a genetic error.
The scientific article, developed within the framework of the Germany-Brazil-Ecuador Trilateral Cooperation Project, has been published in the international scientific journal Sociobiology.
Reference: Pazmiño-Palomino, A., & de Oliveira, ML (2021). First Case of Gynandromorphism in the Orchid-Bee Eulaema meriana (Olivier) (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Sociobiology, 68 (3), e5778. https://doi.org/10.13102/sociobiology.v68i3.5778
