Orchid bee in genus Euglossa (above and left)

Orchid bees (Euglossine), jewels of the forest. Between 2021 and 2023, I spent a lot of time photographing (or attempting to photograph) orchid bees in Costa Rica, Peru, and Panama. 

I managed to capture good images of about half a dozen species and learned a lot. In some areas, these fantastic little bees (~8mm) are at risk from habitat loss, climate change, and the overuse of insecticides.  Encouragingly, most research shows that populations are stable in protected areas. 

However, other surveys elsewhere in Central and South America show declines, especially in Brazil, where the wholesale destruction of their habitat is ongoing. 

Orchid bees are a challenging macro subject. They are small, nervous, fast, reflective, seasonal, and willful. But they are also perfect subjects for the tenacious photographer because, absent photographs, they are too small and fast-moving to make out any detail with the naked eye. If you watch them coming to flowers to feed, I doubt you’ll be able to see the details of their fuzzy little bodies, cute faces, and brilliant colors. I can't, and I've had a lot of practice.

If you know what to look for, you’ll sometimes see something like a stinger protruding between their rear legs. That’s their tubular tongue which is so long some species need to tuck it under their bodies and only deploy it when feeding on nectar. 

I’ve been using both my old Zuiko 60mm and the newer Zuiko 90mm. The magnification on the 90mm helps “get in close” (photo below) and works well when they are perched. But keeping them in the frame when they move is nearly impossible. I also found that using one or two off-camera flashes is really helpful.

These little beggars fly extremely fast and do a lot of their perfume hunting a couple of hundred feet off the ground in the canopy.  The females are equally fast and they tend to work early in the morning and not at all unless there are flowers to visit. There are over 200 species, and many are quite similar in appearance so ID-ing is hopeless. Researchers have watched them raise young, but I do not believe anyone has yet managed to video their courtship and mating. 

You can read more about orchid bees and see more photos here