First records of four orchid bee species (Hymenoptera, Apidae: Euglossini) in Ecuador

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) play a vital role as key pollinators in the Neotropical forests.Their preference for forested areas makes these bees more susceptible to environmental changes, particularly in areas under severe human impact, such as the Choc-Darien biodiversity hotspot.This study presents new data on orchid bees within the Canand Biological Reserve, a lowland rainforest in the Choc region of northwestern Ecuador.At this site, four species of orchid bees were recorded for the first time in Ecuador: Euglossa bursigera Moure, 1970, Euglossa crassipunctata Moure, 1968, Euglossa villosiventris Moure, 1968 and Eufriesea macroglossa (Moure, 1965).We also provide speciesspecific information on diagnosis, distribution maps, and high-resolution images.With these records, the total number of orchid bee species recorded in Ecuador now stands at 119.