able to develop adequately. Because the diploid male larva lives in a thick enclosed cell, females may not eliminate them as readily. There is still much discussion on the mechanisms that prevent inbreeding in euglossines and how chemical collections by males influences mating success or paternity. Some propose that inbreeding is a likely reason for the high diploid male proportion. Interaction with other species Because Eulaema are so large, brood cells are large and take longer to provision. Thus the cell remains open for longer, providing an opportunity for parasites and scavengers to enter the nest. Parasites Meloetyphlus fuscatus, a meloid beetle, was observed to emerge from one studied nest. The phoretic larva of the meloid attaches itself to the bee and is carried back to the nest and functions as a nest parasite, where it feeds on provisions collected by the bees. Hoplomutilla conspecta, a species of parasitoid mutillid wasp, was found in a nest, chewing at closed brood cells, but oviposition was not observed. Wasps of the family Leucospidae were found to emerge from nests. In one of the nests observed and followed by Cameron and Ramirez, a total of 51 wasps emerged. One of the cells was revealed to have at least 20 Leucospis pupal exuviae. Leucospis pinna is an ectoparasite of E. meriana, and is the first species of Leucospis that was reported to parasitize Euglossini. It is also the first known member of Leucospidae that has gregarious larvae, with multiple adults emerging from the same cell. References External links Listed below are links to just a few websites of research groups and scientists among many that have conducted extensive research on orchids and orchid bees. Sydney A. Cameron leads a research group at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign that focuses on the systematics and biology of social Hymenoptera. However, some of her behavioral research focuses on comparative studies of tropical bees. More about Cameron and her team's work on bees can be found on their laboratory webpage. Robert L. Dressler is an American botanist specialist of the taxonomy of the Orchidaceae. Dr. Dressler has worked with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, focusing on orchid pollination. He has done extensive field work on orchids for more than 20 years. David L. Stern focuses on experimental evolutionary biology and genetics. His lab is driven to research how animal behavior evolves, how genes evolve to