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Cheating flowers
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| Photo Information |
Copyright: Jan Gaisler (honza)
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 535 W: 0 N: 720]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-n-g.gif) (4197) |
| Genre: Plants |
| Medium: Color |
| Date Taken: 2005-04-27 |
| Categories: Flowers |
| Exposure: f/4.5, 1/900 seconds |
| More Photo Info: [view] |
| Photo Version: Original Version |
| Date Submitted: 2005-05-19 4:18 |
| Viewed: 2625 |
| Points: 8 |
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| [Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note |
Yellow bee orchid (Ophrys lutea subsp. sicula)
The photo was made during my trip in Monte Gargano.
Pseudo-Copulation on Ophrys Species
Nearly all Ophrys species are sexual cheating flowers, each of them specialized in one or few species of insects, usually solitary bees, in few other cases solitary wasps or beetles. The flower is producing the specific pheromone of the female insect, with which it is attracting the male insects, which are appearing before the females. Also shape, pilosity, and other details of the labellum are copying the female insect sufficienly, so the swindle doesn't come up immediately. If the insect takes the correct position for copulation -- this is called pseudo-copulation --, it is also the suitable position to get the pollines of the orchid glued on. As visible on the images, at Ophrys of the fusca and lutea s.l. groups the abdomen of the male insect points to the pollines, at other Ophrys species the head. If the insect flees, but is later attracted by another orchid of the same species, the glued pollines can pollinate this bloom. Ophrys blooms don't produce nectar, so the insect doesn't get any return for the pollination of the orchid. (text used and more information on site www.guenther-blaich.de) |
red45, dew77, TAZ, peter_stoeckl has marked this note useful
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- red45
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2645 W: 74 N: 9100]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif)
(31089) - [2005-05-19 4:20]
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Ha,ha, poor bee ;-) Fantastic light and warm colours Jan! Composition is also great. Very interesting note complete your excellent post!
Wooow honza!
Your bee looks a little hungry and very tasty :-)
Great picture of this rare flower and very interesting note. Thanks!
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- dew77
(13237)
- [2005-05-19 4:44]
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Hello Jan!
Very nice shor.Lighting,colors and composition are wonderful.TFS...
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- TAZ
![Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2241 W: 47 N: 3167]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-s-g.gif)
(10926) - [2005-05-20 2:31]
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Belle et intéressante composition macro-photographique pour ces superbes fleurs. Jolies couleurs et bonne netteté.
Interesting & well done !
I will revisit for ;-)
Hello Jan,
just by a lucky coincidence that I found that rare document of an Ophrys blossom successfully cheating a visiting ground bee - great contribution! So far, I knew the story, but I never saw any insect actually visiting such a blossom.
Thank you! Best regards,
Peter
:)
