Skip to main content
Today is National Trails Day!
Close

Mirror bee orchid

Ophrys speculum

Photo by PatriciaPi
Published on Project Noah
Zoom
NominateNominate for Wildlife Photograph of the Month
reportFlag Spotting

38.6475, 0.0662624

Field Notes

Description:

Ophrys speculum is land Orchid that has underground tuber, globular, which leaves little flower stem erect simple unbranched about 30 cm. The flowers have a large lip. The three-lobed lip is dark brown, velvety central lobe, triangular, elongated and curved. The lip reddish brown about 13 to 18 mm in length has three lobes with the two triangular sides are turned slightly forward with abundant fine, silky hairs mimicking insect wing cases. The intermediate lobe is glabrous and larger than the side where the speculum is colored blue steel, I-shaped, with yellow trim enclosing the central mirror hairy area.

Habitat:

This species of terrestrial habits is distributed throughout the Mediterranean (Spain, southern France and Corsica) generally throughout Europe. In grasslands, scrublands, shrubs and forests.

Notes:

fertilization by Campsoscolia ciliata, the males confuse the flowers with a female

Species ID Suggestions

Comments (15)
PatriciaPi
maybe ... try to move out there at other times, earlier and later, to see what happens
craigwilliams
Perhaps they have a certain time of day when they're more likely to be on the wing?
PatriciaPi
@craigwilliams today I been in the same place, there is a large population but I didn't seen Campsoscolia ciliata, it is incredible that in a population so great in 5 hours did not see any pollinator....
PatriciaPi
la verdad que si que son preciosas, ahora hay muchas en flor, estoy haciendo un tour por Calpe y alrededores a ver que encuentro, jeje, por que me encantan ver las silvestres! por cierto, me dirias en benidorm donde las viste? si no es mucha molestia, me gustaria fotografiarlas, gracias!
The MnMs
Estas las vi en Benidorm tambien hace unos cuantos años. Son preciosas y silvestres!
PatriciaPi
I've also never seen the wasp, the next weekend I'ill return, I will look better You are right it is very rare that low pollination rate ..... maybe these wasps aren't abundant, or perhaps are disappearing. a big problem!
craigwilliams
By the way. I had a cuddly toy version of these two 'lovers' :)
craigwilliams
Have you ever seen Campsoscolia ciliata pollinating it ? I saw loads of these in Andalucia last April but didn't even see the wasp once - not even away from the Ophrys. I tried to find some info. about the wasps behaviour/life cycle/pattern of emergence etc. but failed to come up with much. The first population of O.speculum we found had finished flowering so I counted the amount of seed pods developing. % pollination was less than 1%! of the total flowers, which surprised me for such a common species. I guess with tens of thousands of seeds per pod, that rate of pollination is enough.
PatriciaPi
yesss! mine too! yesterday I found lot's of this species, and they were so small! like 3-5 cm height love it!
rutasandinas
Hermosa orquidea por favor agregala ala mission Orchids of the World Gracias http://www.projectnoah.org/missions/9525140

Spotted for Missions

Mission
Flowers of Europe
Mission
Wild Orchids
Mission
2012 Best Wildlife Photo
Mission
Biodiversidad en España/Spain
Mission
Iberian orchids

Tags

Photographed
PublishedMarch 16, 2012

Community Sponsor

Butterfly
Become a Community Sponsor and Help Grow our Global Movement!

Accelerate our Mission to Photograph 
Every Species in the World!

Butterflies icon
Become a Community Sponsor

Wildlife Community

Wildlife Community

Join a worldwide community passionate about wildlife and nature!

Join Project Noah

Nature School

Nature School

Transform your green space into a curiosity-creating nature classroom!

Visit Nature School

Wildlife Game

Wildlife Game

Defend wildlife throughout the jungle in thrilling nature game!

Play Baboon

Nature & Conservation Organizations

Brands & Mission-Focused Companies