Broad-leaved Helleborine
Broad-leaved Helleborine / epipactis helleborine. Cromford, Derbyshire. 19/07/18.
'DONE AND DUSTED.'
The Broad-leaved Helleborine is irresistible to Common Wasps because of it's nectar and because of the smell of raw meat that it emits. Wasps (and other insects) get lured in, possibly associating the smell of meat with a sugary treat!
A Broad-leaved Helleborine's pollinia is cleverly designed to stick to the head of a nectar-seeking wasp as it crawls further across the lip of the flower. It is believed that wasps are incapable of brushing off pollinia from their heads, because they get too intoxicated with traces of narcotics in the nectar. Thus, they career from flower to flower in a somewhat clumsy manner and in doing so, provide a pollination service.
My image made last year, shows that the process described had occurred with this particular wasp. If viewed large, you can see a fine dusting of pollen as well as the pollinia stuck to the insect's head.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.
Broad-leaved Helleborine
Broad-leaved Helleborine / epipactis helleborine. Cromford, Derbyshire. 19/07/18.
'DONE AND DUSTED.'
The Broad-leaved Helleborine is irresistible to Common Wasps because of it's nectar and because of the smell of raw meat that it emits. Wasps (and other insects) get lured in, possibly associating the smell of meat with a sugary treat!
A Broad-leaved Helleborine's pollinia is cleverly designed to stick to the head of a nectar-seeking wasp as it crawls further across the lip of the flower. It is believed that wasps are incapable of brushing off pollinia from their heads, because they get too intoxicated with traces of narcotics in the nectar. Thus, they career from flower to flower in a somewhat clumsy manner and in doing so, provide a pollination service.
My image made last year, shows that the process described had occurred with this particular wasp. If viewed large, you can see a fine dusting of pollen as well as the pollinia stuck to the insect's head.
BEST VIEWED LARGE.