The euglossine bee is a particularly important Amazonian insect. It is the only pollinator of the Brazilian nut tree. This tree grows wild in Amazonia's forests, and its nuts are collected by Indians and other forest dwellers for export. The bee covers a vast distance, up to 12.4 miles in one hour, pollinating the flowers at the top of the tree. When the nut falls to the ground, it is germinated by a type of rodent, the agouti, which chews and softens the outside of the nut, allowing it to germinate.
