In the plant kingdom, survival often depends on adaptation, and in that regard, some plants have managed to develop truly ingenious and curious systems. If there are animals that pretend to be flowers or plants to deceive their predators, why shouldn’t the opposite also occur? Plants that mimic animals.

One of the most ingenious and astonishing cases is that of Ophrys apifera, commonly called the bee orchid, precisely because of how it camouflages itself to achieve its goal. This plant depends on male bees to ensure its pollination, and so it has developed flowers that resemble a female bee so closely that males find them irresistible and do the job before realizing they’ve been fooled.

This perfect disguise is a small marvel of evolution perfected over thousands of years, which guarantees the species’ survival in a world of intense competition to attract pollinators. Thus, its lower petal or labellum has the shape, coloration, and texture exactly like those of a female bee.

Ophrys apifera flower bee
An Ophrys apifera in Sardinia. Credit: Hans Hillewaert / Wikimedia Commons

But that’s not all. In case the visual aspect isn’t enough, the clever Ophrys also releases pheromones, chemical substances that perfectly mimic the scent of a female Eucera longicornis bee in heat. For a male of this species, the ruse is irresistible, and he will fall into the trap again and again.

Once the flower has captured the male’s interest and he lands on it intending to copulate, he comes into contact with the pollen sacs, which stick to his body. He will then attempt to mate in the same way with another flower, carrying pollen from one plant to another and enabling the orchid’s reproduction.

The male bee will have participated in what is one of the most advanced forms of pollination in the plant world. But does he realize he’s been tricked? Probably not, and it’s even possible he receives some kind of reward.

Ophrys apifera flower bee
View of the plant in a field in Germany. Credit: Bernd Haynold / Wikimedia Commons

And what happens if Ophrys apifera doesn’t manage to attract any male bees? Actually, nothing, because the plant has a plan B in case no one shows up at the costume party. It can reproduce without the help of pollinators, simply by self-pollinating.

In areas where Eucera bees are not present or are scarce, the orchid gradually curves its pollinia until their tips touch the stigma of the same flower and pollinate it, thus ensuring reproduction. So why the disguise and deception?

Some researchers believe this self-fertilization mechanism is a recent adaptation, precisely motivated by the decline of pollinators in certain areas. But of course, it has a downside: in this way, the plant’s genetic diversity could decrease, making it less resistant to diseases and adverse weather conditions.

Ophrys apifera can be found in many parts of the world, throughout much of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, growing in various types of soils such as meadows, coastal dunes, and the edges of sparse forests. It is not uncommon to find them along roadsides and secondary highways.

Even so, in some countries it has been necessary to provide it with legal protection as a means of conservation, and in regions where it had already disappeared, reintroduction programs have been implemented, with some success.

Each spring, the spectacle of Ophrys apifera begins anew when the orchid blooms, restarting a game of deception and seduction that makes this flower one of the most curious and interesting on the planet.

This article was first published on our Spanish Edition on May 7, 2025: La increíble Orquídea Abeja, una flor que simula ser una abeja hembra para atraer a los machos

SOURCES

Anna-Karin Borg-Karlson, Chemical and ethological studies of pollination in the genus Ophrys (orchidaceae). Phytochemistry, Volume 29, Issue 5, 1990, Pages 1359-1387. doi.org/10.1016/0031-9422(90)80086-V

Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Bee orchids

Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust, Bee Orchid

Wikipedia, Ophrys apifera

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