According to Yahoo News as reported on January 2, 2013, a new species of bee named by Brazilian biologist Andre Nemesio was coined the biological nomenclature of "Euglosa bazinga" in honor of the clever catch phrase uttered by the character of Dr. Sheldon Cooper who is played by actor Jim Parsons on the "Big Bang Theory".
Some might think that Nemesio was crazy for naming a bee based some sitcom catch phrase, but to also quote Dr. Sheldon Cooper:
"I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested!"
Sanity aside, Nemesio actually did have a purpose for which this particular species was named. It was due in part by tricking scientists into thinking they are some other species of bee. It was also the intent of the Nemesio to introduce an interesting method of differentiating the bees and this helped in the identification method.
The common name is also known as the orchid bee, which is be known as it's colorful iridescence and typically travel from one orchid to another, but the mechanism for pollination is not quite the same as a regular honeybee. The orchid bee's method of pollination and symbiotic relationship with the plant shows a different spin on this mechanic of pollination.
The uniqueness of the orchid bee
Honey bees have been known to transfer the pollen to their legs, while an orchid bee are simply transferring fragrances to their legs, so there is no pollen on their legs, just the fragrance from the orchid Pollination occurs in a somewhat different way where the structure of the orchid is designed so that the pollen particles is triggered when the bee lands on the labellum and the pollen is collected on their backs instead of their legs.
Also, all orchid bees that are responsible for pollination are only male in gender, and thus the fragrance that the orchid provides to the bee is used to attract females and thus ensures the survival of the species.
Ecological concerns of the orchid bee's survival
There are concerns that this orchid population is deteriorating and considering that orchid bees rely exclusively upon the plant for it's own reproduction, there could be an issue of the preservation of this species of bee.
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