Extraordinary of freak plant – you decide.
Some orchids resemble insects. The Ophrys sphegodes is a bumblebee impersonator.
The Ophrys sphegodes is an amazing orchid. To ensure its survival in nature it presents itself as a very convincing imitation of a specific type of female bee all in an effort to get pollinated. The male bee of this specific species that is being targeted and thus impersonated by the orchid, hatch a few weeks prior to the female bees of the species. What the Ophrys sphegodes orchid then does is to practice impeccable timing. It times its bloom period so that the flower coincides precisely with this period. Thus when the male bees are actively looking for females to mate with, the Ophrys sphegodes ‘offers’ a possible target for these male bees.
Poor Bees – No, they do not get harmed at all, just duped. So much for a mutualistic affair. It is rather one-sided.
