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Mirror orchid

Ophrys speculum

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3 Comments

Desmond.E.S.O
Desmond.E.S.O 6 years ago

Huge congrats! Well done on your very first Project Noah spotting!

Mark Ridgway
Mark Ridgway 6 years ago

Congratulations. Beautiful flower.

DanielePralong
DanielePralong 6 years ago

Welcome to Project Noah and congratulations Xavipaetus, this beautiful orchid is our Spotting of the Day!

"Learn about sexual deception with our Spotting of the Day, a beautiful Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum)! Orchids of the genus Ophrys attracts male pollinating insects by producing the sex pheromone of female pollinators, together with providing visual and tactile cues (the flower resembles and feels like the female). Males will then try to copulate with the flower, pollinating it in the process. Every Ophrys species has its own pollinating insect, and Ophrys speculum is pollinated exclusively by a scoliid wasp, Dasyscolia ciliata. Ophrys speculum is known as Mirror Orchid because of the reflection of light by its bright iridescent purple speculum; this mimics reflection of the sky on a wasp’s wings. This species is distributed throughout the Mediterranean".

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Xavipaetus
Spotted by
Xavipaetus

Comunitat Valenciana, Spain

Spotted on Mar 28, 2017
Submitted on Apr 11, 2017

Spotted for Mission

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