Third International Symposium

on Orchid Bees


La Gamba, Costa Rica, August 5 to 9, 2026

  • News

  • Program

  • Registration

  • Venue

  • Organizers


  • Symposium 2018

  • Symposium 2014



  • +++ August 12, 2025 +++

    Dear colleagues,

    We are pleased to announce the 3rd International Symposium on the Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation of Orchid Bees to be held in La Gamba Biological Station near Golfito Costa Rica in August 5 to 9, 2026!

    The first and second symposia in 2014 and 2018 were both great events (see old Symposium web pages) and we are now organizing the third installment in 2026. As before, the meeting will provide an outstanding opportunity to bring together scientists interested in diverse aspects of the biology of euglossine bees, including chemical ecology, sensory biology, sociobiology, pollination biology, community ecology, systematics, and conservation biology.

    The symposium will again take place at the La Gamba research station and will have an informal format to promote discussions and enhance interactions among participants. There will be a limited number of talks, field exhibitions, and organized hikes. We will host scientists from different nationalities with diverse backgrounds, hopefully bringing together a substantial part of the active euglossine research community, including students new to the field as well as seasoned euglossinologists. Due to the limited space available at the La Gamba Biological Station (max. of 40 people), registrations will be processed on a first-come first-served basis. Confirmed participants in 2026 include Margarita Lopez-Uribe, Adam Karremans, Paulo Milet-Pinheiro and Manfred Ayasse.

    We very much hope to see you in La Gamba in August 2026!

    Jonas Henske, Jasen Liu, Santiago Ramírez & Thomas Eltz


    RUHR-UNIVERSITÄT BOCHUM