How Can Ophrys Apifera (Bee Orchid) Plant Imitate Female Bees' Apperance?

By GKN | GKN | 15 Nov 2020

Orchids are one of the most beautiful and diverse plants on earth. This plant has very nice looking flowers. They are wonderful scents. They even decorate most of our homes and offices. It is one of the largest families in flowering plants. There are too many orchid species. The number of species is 4 times more than the number of mammals on earth. Some of the species that are members of the genus Ophrys are famous for imitating bees.

Public Domain: Pixabay.com

The species of the genus Ophrys has flowers in the image similar to bees and fur insects. The fact that this plant has a furry appearance shows that it has a great advantage in terms of pollination. It is known that most flowering plants emit various attractive scents to call the bees to be landed on them. These fragrances can be varied. Some scents are very attractive for us. We produce perfumes from these attractive scents. On the other hand, we don't perceive some odors at all. However, for hairy insects such as bees, such scents can be very attractive. Generally, such scents are the indicators of the flower's nectar. The bee goes through this fragrance of the flower with its instinct to appease his hunger and drinks that nectar. In this way, the plant contaminates the pollen in the hair of the bee. Thus, the offspring can be sent off to a large number of members, which are very far from the plant. However, the species of the genus Ophrys is a little more than that.

Pixabay [Public domain]

Pseudocopulation

Ophrys Apifera has a mechanism called Pseudocopulation. Pseudocopulation is the name given to events in which one or more individuals interact in a similar manner to that of having sex, but not any real sex action is realized. Some flowers have a look very similarto the female gender of the insects which the plant want it to place on itself. However, it should be noted that the important thing here is not the appearance, and tactile. Yes, the bees can see. The appearance of individuals in the opposite sex is also a factor of sexual attraction for them. But for the insects’ world, scents and pheromones are more attractive elements of sexual intercourse. Ophrys Apifera can give a sexual appearance, also has chemicals and a tactile sensation. Mimicry of the plants in this way is called "Pouyannian Mimicry".

Etrusko25 Nature's Mimicry, [Public domain], from Wikimedia Commons

Real Sexual Deception

In fact, the name of the flowers of this species is quite significant. Ophrys is a word from ancient Greek. Meaning "eyebrow". Eyebrows are hairy. In Latin, "Apifera" means "bee-bringing". It was used to describe the bee-shaped lip on the flower. In the case of real sexual deception, the orchid emits the sexy scent which is normally emitted by the virgin female bees. The plant attracts the male bees passing by. This mechanism also includes allomones. An allomone is a mixture of alkenes and alkanes. The allomone, which is synthesized and propagated by the orchid, is specific to the pollinator. These orchids always call the bees of the same species through allomone and pheromones. Because, allomone and pheromones in the same chemical composition match to the bees.

How Long Ago Did This Plant Appear?

It is important to know how much time has passed since the time the plant first came out. Because the answer to the question of how this unique imitation ability develops is also hidden here. First of all, it is worth mentioning that many species in nature evolve with other species. That's how plants in the Orchidaceae family are. From the first moments, they have evolved with the bees. They have changed themselves to be in accordance with the bees and some other insects. Bees also carried out their evolution together with these plants. In a bee fossil belonging to approximately 15 to 20 million years ago, it was observed that the bee carried pollen of an unknown orchid taxon.

Pollination [Public Domain], via Pixabay.com

Late Cretaceous time corresponds to a period of 76 to 84 million years. This is the period of time when the first orchids are seen in the world. In fact, according to some researchers, the first appearance of orchids goes back 100 million years. A variety of adaptation mechanisms have occurred in the genus of the plants belonging to this family. Each plant community tried to adapt to the geography, climate and other external ecosystem characteristics. In this way, dozens of different genera have occurred. If we take into account the formation of species under this genera, it is not that difficult to understand how many adaptations have occurred. Maybe tens of thousands, maybe millions of adaptation processes ...

Evolutionary Results

It should not be forgotten that every adaptation made by the plant causes an evolutionary change. We know the fact that the more a species is adaptive with the nature around it, the greater the chance of survival. The most important factor to survive is to reproduce. In the evolution of living things, it is called sexual selection that some living things can reproduce easily, some of them can hardly reproduce or never reproduce. This is the reason why Ophrys Apifera is in this way today, as a result of this natural law. The ability of natural selection to do its job is related to the success of adaptations of the species. Yes, in the macro sense (physical appearance and characteristics) adaptations can give a very good idea of how and in what direction they are realized. However, adaptations do not occur immediately on a macro scale. They occur at the molecular (cell) level and gradually. Moreover, these changes are very small. Change of genetic material in the cell nucleus. This is called mutations. Macro changes as a result of adaptations are caused by the occurrence of these small mutations numerous times.

PSM_V88_D207_Perfectly_formed_plant_fossils_of_twenty_million_years_ago.png A Plants Fossil, UnknownUnknown author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

A very important part of mutations does not have a serious effect on the individual of the species. They usually occur randomly due to their nature. However, millions or billions of mutations will lead to very effective changes from generation to generation.

No Eyes, No Touch, But Resemblance?

No plant has eyes or touch feelings. The Ophrys Apifera plant has never been able to feel or see the bee placed on it. For this reason, the subject is by no means relevant to the shape of the bee (ie in the visual context). It seems to us that the Ophrys Apifera plant looks like the bee's appearance. But this is not the case. Imagine that such a process takes millions of years and billions of mutations continuing with tens of millions of generations. Evolutionary change as a result of one of these mutations is the most appropriate for the pollination of the plant. To be honest, this flower is not exactly looking like the bee yet. Perhaps this evolutionary process is still continuing in this direction.

Mutation,NASA/David Herring [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

I think, as men, we should be a little more careful when we go for a walk in the forest next time. Evolution is full of surprising facts. Maybe we can encounter a very sexy girl who seems very attracting. But because of all the above issues, we may find ourselves having sex with a plant. Who knows!