Bee Orchids
What are they?
Among the orchids, the bee orchids in the genus Ophrys are probably the most intriguing and bizarre. The flowers have evolved to mimic insects in an effort to fool those insects into acting as unwitting pollinators. As well as the visual appearance of the flowers, which somewhat resemble the bodies of a variety of bees and flies, the flowers of some species emit a scent that mimics the pheromone scents of certain insects. So in effect, male insects are attracted to the flowers to mate with them, but get duped into transferring pollen.
Where are they found?
These are generally plants of open, grassy places, though Fly Orchid will also grow in shadier locations in woodland clearing and rides.
Identification
The three species are easily told apart by the appearance of their flowers. Note the colour of the upper sepals/petals and the shape and pattern of markings on the labellum (the larger, lower petal).
Common Bee Orchid Ophrys apifera
Native. Widespread and fairly common on roadsides, commons, cliff slopes and similarly grassy places. Has a habit of turning up on new housing estates for a few years before disappearing as suddenly as it arrived. May be found singly or in sometimes quite large numbers. Flowers June to July. Differs from our two other species in its pink upper petals. The blue-green, strongly veined leaf rosettes can be most easily located in the winter months.
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Fly Orchid Ophrys insectifera
Native. Very rare in East Anglia with just two known locations in Suffolk; last recorded in Cambridgeshire in 1975. Flowers May to July. Flowers smaller and narrower than other bee orchid species with 4-12 flowers per spike.
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Early Spider Orchid Ophrys sphegodes
Native. Very rare in East Anglia, having become extirpated in the region for a long period before a single plant appeared in West Suffolk in the 1990s. Currently there are no known sites for this species but it may reappear. Flowers late April to June. Flowers relatively larger and chunkier than other bee orchid species with 2-10 flowers per spike.
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