Some flowers go to extraordinary lengths to attract pollinators. Bee orchids mimic the shape and scent of bees in order to lure them into ‘pseudocopulation’, where the male insect attempts to mate ...

Why orchids have evolved sexual mimicry for pollination is open for debate. Plants that are farther away from each other are more likely to be distant relatives, so mimicry may reduce inbreeding.

Looking around at the hundreds of orchids in bloom on the back patio of her Weston home, Sara Singer is hard-pressed to pick ...

Orchids are pros at mimicry. The Spider orchid mimics the pheromones of a wasp attracting it to help with pollination. The Bulbophyllum family of orchids have developed looks and smells of rotting ...

While scentless by day, the orchid flower becomes fragrant at night, attracting this nocturnal pollinator. Hint: Only a very specialized pollinator can reach this flower's nectar. The common blue ...

Adult Lepidopterans pollinate night-blooming jasmine, evening primrose, four o’clocks, jimpson weed, orchids, blazing star, Joe-Pye weed, petunia and zinnia. Swallowtail caterpillars feed on ...

Some orchids promise shelter, deploying floral forms that mimic insect burrows or brood rooms. Others mimic male bees in flight, hoping to incite territorial combat that results in pollination.

The orchid bee, a pollinator, is necessary to the cultivation of the Brazil nut — a crucial crop sustaining the livelihoods of many in the region. Data gathered in the late 1990s regarding ...

They depend on fungi for their entire supply of nourishment. Most orchid flowers also had different adaptations to attract different kind of pollinators, Dr. Fernando said. Such interlinks also make ...