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.