ophrys insectifera
ophrys insectifera (Orchidaceae) 100 25
The Fly Orchid can never be described as pretty, but it is one of the most bewitching of the Ophrys species displaying, as it does so perfectly, the highly evolved deception mechanisms that the genus of bee orchids uses to attract pollinating insects. The part of the flower which demonstrates most visibly the results of this evolutionary process is the lip which can be velvety or hairy with a speculum (mirror) in the center that is hairless and shiny and looks just like the wings of the insects that it hopes to attract.
Ophrys insectifera is so distinctive that it is very easy to identify. The flowers closely resemble little flies - the lip forms the body of the insect, the mirror is shiny like the folded wings of a fly and there are even two glossy depressions at the base of the lip which represent the insect's eyes.
The Fly Orchid is a European plant that can be found as far south as Spain and Greece but, unlike other members of the genus, extends its range into the north as far as Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic States.
ophrys insectifera
ophrys insectifera (Orchidaceae) 100 25
The Fly Orchid can never be described as pretty, but it is one of the most bewitching of the Ophrys species displaying, as it does so perfectly, the highly evolved deception mechanisms that the genus of bee orchids uses to attract pollinating insects. The part of the flower which demonstrates most visibly the results of this evolutionary process is the lip which can be velvety or hairy with a speculum (mirror) in the center that is hairless and shiny and looks just like the wings of the insects that it hopes to attract.
Ophrys insectifera is so distinctive that it is very easy to identify. The flowers closely resemble little flies - the lip forms the body of the insect, the mirror is shiny like the folded wings of a fly and there are even two glossy depressions at the base of the lip which represent the insect's eyes.
The Fly Orchid is a European plant that can be found as far south as Spain and Greece but, unlike other members of the genus, extends its range into the north as far as Scandinavia, Finland and the Baltic States.