O. Simia Research Paper

Register to read the introduction… Orchis simia is a white-grey and pink colored orchid. Its labellum is shaped like a monkey; complete with four limbs and a tail. It inhabits limestone terrain, grassy and woodland areas. It is spread throughout central to southern Europe, the Mediterranean and North Africa. One third of all orchid species are deceptive, O. simia is no exception; it is nectarless and relies on food deception to attract pollinators. One of O. simia’s known pollinators is the Cidnopus pilosus beetle (Schatz 2006).

Floral scent is composed of volatiles. Volatiles are a variety of organic compounds that evaporate into the air. They are important for plant defense and attracting pollinators. Wright G. and Schiestl F. analyzed the 2007 experiment conducted by Salzmann et. al showing that the amount of scent produced by nectarless orchids was lower than nectar rewarding flowers, due to the pollinator’s ability to recognize scents. Nectarless species also vary greatly between scent composition. However, there is still little known information on the scent variability and pollinator behavior in food deceptive plants (Salzmann et al. 2007).