“This study is exciting because it very clearly demonstrates that the male orchid bee perfume has a huge effect on female mating decisions,” says Elizabeth Tibbetts at the University of Michigan.

This photograph, from The Sex Life of Flowers by Meeuse and Morris, is an example of mimicry in which the orchid has evolved to resemble a female bee. The male, trying unsuccessfully to mate with ...

A male orchid bee zips around the rainforest, a flash of iridescent green against an equally emerald background. The bee stops at various flowers, fungi and dead trees, ...

A male orchid bee zips around the rainforest, a flash of iridescent green against an equally emerald background. The bee stops at various flowers, fungi and dead trees, collecting fragrant ...

The team filmed a male bee attempting to mate with an orchid (Footage: Nicolas Vereecken) More light has been shed on orchids that trick male bees into pollinating them by mimicking female insects.

Over his three to five-month lifespan, a male orchid bee will expend a huge amount of time and effort scouting for fragrances. When he finds a desirable scent, ...

To attract a mate, male orchid bees collect scents from the environment to create the perfect aroma. Research suggests that these perfumes are unique to each species. In a study appearing in ...

Male orchid bees are attracted to strong scents. I'm told by friends that after a day of hiking in the rainforest, "fragrant" field biologists attract curious male bees – it doesn't have to be a ...

A male orchid bee zips around the rainforest, a flash of iridescent green against an equally emerald background. The bee stops at various flowers, fungi and dead trees, collecting fragrant particles ...

Unlike other flowers, orchids go to great lengths to attract pollinators like male bees. The National History Museum explains that they mimic the shape and form of a female bee to lure a male bee ...

This photograph, from The Sex Life of Flowers by Meeuse and Morris, is an example of mimicry in which the orchid has evolved to resemble a female bee. The male, trying unsuccessfully to mate with ...