So each of many species of these orchids have a particular species of bee which is attracted to it. What does the bee get out of this. Well, unlike many types of bees, the Euglossine bees do not use pollen or liquid nectar for food. Apparently they gather the scent from the orchids so that they can deposit it on leaves and mark the routes for these solitary bees to travel to meeting places, where males and females can meet. Finally, I should tell you about a little trick the orchids can play on bees.
Some orchid flowers have a slippery surface.
When the bees load up little pockets on their legs with the scent, they become a little intoxicated. So they slip on the flower and fall down a slide which has pollen on each side. So, the bee is tricked into picking up pollen which can be carried to another flower, where it deposits the pollen on the female reproductive structures when it again slides down the slippery surface. Acacias and Ants A really interesting case of mutualism is that of the relationship between ants of the genus Pseudomyrmex and plants of the genus Acacia . Acacias are legumes, often, but not always, with finely divided leaves.