Composition of Orchid Scents Attracting Euglossine Bees

Abstract

AbstractFragrance composition of flowers from 101 plant species, especially orchids, were analyzed. Several compounds, including allo‐aromadendrene, β‐bourbonene, α‐copaene, α‐cubebene, 1,2‐dimethoxybenzene, 1,3,5‐trimethoxybenzene, epoxygeranyl acetate, 7,11‐epoxymegastigma‐5(6)‐en‐9‐one, two γ‐lactones, germacradienol, germacrene D, humulene, methoxy‐phenyl‐ethyl acetate, myrcene epoxide, sabinene, styrene, and undecatriene were detected for the first time in orchids. Fragrance composition of flowers pollinated by male euglossine bee species (perfume flowers) of four plant families are compared and contrasted with those of orchid species with other pollination systems.Melittophilous, but highly specialized orchids, produce fragrances rich in different sesquiterpenes and other rare compounds. In the species that are exclusively pollinated by fragrance‐collecting male euglossine bees, the fragrances are primary attractants that serve both as an attractant and as a reward. The unusually intensely smelling flowers mostly produce esters and monoterpenes. The fragrances of euglossophilous flowers of the three plant families investigated are composed of nearly the same sets of chemical compounds, suggesting convergent evolution.Typically, euglossophilous plant species produce large amounts of few fragrant substances while melittophilous species often produce rare compounds in small amounts.