Bees and orchids
Male orchid bees (also known as Euglossine bees) collect perfume from a wide variety of South- and Central American neotropical orchids, and turn this into chemical signals called pheromones. It’s a messy procedure, which involves scraping brush-like foreleg tips all over orchid flowers before transferring the heady scent to storage sacs on the back legs.
In the process, orchid pollen is conveniently attached to the bee’s back, where it can subsequently rub off onto female parts of other flowers. The process is vital for orchid reproduction. Scientists aren’t yet sure what orchid bees do with their perfume-based pheromones. The potent concoction may attract females, be used to mark territories, or it may just smell awfully good.