{"id":1123,"date":"2023-11-07T22:29:58","date_gmt":"2023-11-07T22:29:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/?page_id=1123"},"modified":"2025-11-22T21:03:49","modified_gmt":"2025-11-22T21:03:49","slug":"bee-orchid-ophrys-apifera","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/?page_id=1123","title":{"rendered":"Bee Orchid &#8211; Ophrys apifera"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"1123\" class=\"elementor elementor-1123\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c338c26 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"5c338c26\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-64464d85 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"64464d85\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Bee Orchid - Ophrys apifera<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-26592dbd e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"26592dbd\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-748a1a3b e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"748a1a3b\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2c28b20d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"2c28b20d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"675\" height=\"1016\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/41477_2015_Article_BFnplants201556_Fig1_HTML.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-1126\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/41477_2015_Article_BFnplants201556_Fig1_HTML.jpg 675w, https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/41477_2015_Article_BFnplants201556_Fig1_HTML-199x300.jpg 199w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 675px) 100vw, 675px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-42f2691e e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"42f2691e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-177eb03 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"177eb03\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Ever been catfished by a flower? This orchid likes to frustrate male bees all across Europe &#8211; and gets a real benefit from it too. By mimicking the appearance female longhorn bee (<em>Eucera longicornis<\/em>), the Bee Orchid uses its pollinia (seen in yellow) to deposit pollen on unsuspecting bees looking for a sweet nectar reward, allowing pollination of new flowers if the bee gets fooled twice. While most effective in areas like Southern Europe where longhorn bees are more common, in England the Bee Orchid is self-pollinated and most frequently found in the southeast, although its existance is typically transient and very unpredictable, blooming in June-July.<\/p>\n<p>Their deceptive looks and plentiful nectar aren&#8217;t the only weapons in their reproductive arsenal, as the Bee Orchid can even produce compounds similar to that of female mating pheromones to really seal the deal with male bees who come to visit.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Like most orchids, the seeds of the Bee Orchid are remarkably small, meant for long range wind-dispersal (anemochory). Keep an eye out on roadsides, grasslands, and moors for these remarkable flowers in the summer, particularly in chalky soils.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35a6960f e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"35a6960f\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d754365 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"d754365\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"412\" height=\"640\" src=\"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/795022c03deca0e24260a77c37835b5b.jpg\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-1127\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/795022c03deca0e24260a77c37835b5b.jpg 412w, https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/795022c03deca0e24260a77c37835b5b-193x300.jpg 193w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 412px) 100vw, 412px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-67fedf9e e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"67fedf9e\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;boxed&quot;}\" data-core-v316-plus=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5c5d0e81 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5c5d0e81\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7b4277b5 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"7b4277b5\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3766b63 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3766b63\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Sources:<br>The Wildlife Trusts &#8211; Bee Orchid<br>Natural History Museum &#8211; Sneaky Orchids Manipulate Bees for Pollination<br>Norfolk Wildlife Trust &#8211; Bee Orchid<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2a702fe4 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"2a702fe4\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5d7b675c e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5d7b675c\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1a9d61ae e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"1a9d61ae\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a350ca9 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"a350ca9\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;content_width&quot;:&quot;full&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Bee Orchid &#8211; Ophrys apifera Ever been catfished by a flower? This orchid likes to frustrate male bees all across Europe &#8211; and gets a real benefit from it too. By mimicking the appearance female longhorn bee (Eucera longicornis), the Bee Orchid uses its pollinia (seen in yellow) to deposit pollen on unsuspecting bees looking &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/?page_id=1123\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Bee Orchid &#8211; Ophrys apifera<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"page-builder","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1123"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1123"}],"version-history":[{"count":31,"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1123\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1333,"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1123\/revisions\/1333"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/weirdbio.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1123"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}