The Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera), this cheeky little plant.

Figure 1. Photo of a group of Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera), mimicking
female bees.
Photographer: D. James.

So now that I have gotten you all excited about the idea of discovering incredible cases of plant mimicry, I would like to talk to you about one of my favorite examples; the Bee Orchid (Ophrys apifera). As I have already mentioned in my previous post, this plant uses its flowers to imitate the targeted pollinators (Figure 1). As male bees fly pass the orchids, they will think that the flower is a potential mating partner (Vereecken & Geroud, 2007). In addition to physically imitating the female bee, the plant also produces a smell that is similar to that of a female bee which strongly attracts the males. As a result, the males will try to mate with the plant... Unsuccessfully (Vereecken & Geroud, 2007). This video perfectly displays the disappointment felt by the bee:

Unfortunately, it is not the end of the bee's disappointment... Indeed, the flower does not provide any reward to the insect, such as nectar or consumable pollen, like most of the plants (Vereecken & Geroud, 2007). But on the other hand, the plant is perfectly satisfied as the male bee is now covered by its pollen. This pollen will be transferred to another Bee Orchid when it tries to copulate with another flower (Johnson & Kindlmann, 2006).

And this is how they reproduce!

Sadly, even if it seems like an incredibly smart way of pollination, it doesn't work as much as it should, with only about 15% of plants successfully reproduce per year (Vereecken & Geroud, 2007).

Reference list:

James, D. (n.d.). Photo of a group of Bee Orchids (Ophrys apifera), mimicking female bees [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.davidjameswildlifediary.com/2014_06_01_archive.html
Johnson, S. D. & Kindlmann, P. (2006). Mechanisms and evolution of deceptive pollination in orchids. Biological Reviews, 81(2), 219-235.

• Vereecken, N. & Genoud, D. (2007). La pollinisation de l’Ophrys arachnitiformis (Orchidaceae) par les mâles de Colletes cunicularius (L.) (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France). Osmia, 1, 20 -22.

Plant mimicry, its evolutionary advantage.

Figure 1,  The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)
improves its pollination by mimicking
a member of its targeted pollinators.
Photographer: N. Cotner.

  According to Oxford dictionary of English (2005), mimicry is the "close external ressemblance of an animal or a plant, to another animal, plant or inanimate object". As we will cover a few examples on this blog, you will discover that some mimicry evolution has given birth to a lot of original and smart shapes. Also, some mimicry turn out to be pretty and interesting. But really, what purpose do they serve?

Figure 2, A group of living stones
(Lithops helmutii), surrounded by smaller 
rocks, easily hides from its predators.
Photographer: J. Hairan.

  Well, some mimicry will attract, whereas others will repel: for example, Figure 1 is not a photo of a bee, but rather a plant, known as a bee orchid (Ophrys apifera). The flowers of this plant have evolved to attract bees to facilitate the process of pollination (Vereecken & Genoud, 2007). Another example are the lithops, or more commonly known as "living stones", as seen in Figure 2. The big, rounded, and grey/pinkish part are all plants, which are surrounded by smaller rocks. This mimicry allows them to hide from their predators as they will consider that they are all rocks (Barrett, 1987), and there is no point eating rocks, right?

Even if this has only covered a small sample of plant mimicry topic, I am sure you have already understood that plants mimicry have evolved to give lots of useful survival advantages to plants. Wether it be the facilitation of reproduction by attracting pollinators, or even hiding in plant sight, plant mimicry ensures the continuity of their species.

Reference list:

Cotner, N. (n.d.). The bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) improves its pollination by mimicking a member of its targeted pollinators [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/Plant_Strategies/mimicry.shtml

• Hairan, J. (n.d.). A group of living stones (Lithops helmutii), surrounded by smaller rocks, easily hides from its predators [Image]. Retrieved from http://www.cactuspro.com/conophytum-lithops/encyclopedie/lithops/helmutii/lithops-helmuthii.jpg.php
• Mimicry. (2015). In Oxford Dictionary of English. Retrieved from http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/spellcheck/words/?q=mimicry
• Barrett , S.C.H. (1987). Mimicry in Plants. Scientific American, 255(9), 76-83.
• Vereecken, N. & Genoud, D. (2007). La pollinisation de l’Ophrys arachnitiformis (Orchidaceae) par les mâles de Colletes cunicularius (L.) (Hymenoptera, Colletidae) dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques (France). Osmia, 1, 20 -22.