Ophrys fusca

Ophrys fusca, commonly known as the sombre bee-orchid or the dark bee-orchid, is a species of orchid native to the Mediterranean from southwestern Europe and northern Africa to western Asia.^[2][3] Most subspecies of the Ophrys fusca are pollinated by males Andrena bees.^[4]

Ophrys fusca
Flower of Ophrys fusca
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Orchidaceae
Subfamily:	Orchidoideae
Genus:	Ophrys
Species:	O. fusca
Binomial name
Ophrys fusca Link
Synonyms[1]
List Arachnites fuscus (Link) Tod. Arachnites pallidus (Raf.) Tod. Ophrys achillis P.Delforge Ophrys africana G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche Ophrys akhdarensis (B.Baumann & H.Baumann) P.Delforge Ophrys aranifera subsp. moesziana Soó Ophrys arnoldii P.Delforge Ophrys astypalaeica P.Delforge Ophrys atlantica Munby Ophrys atlantica subsp. durieui (Rchb.f.) Maire & Weiller Ophrys attaviria D.Rückbr., U.Rückbr., Wenker & S.Wenker Ophrys attaviria var. cesmeensis (Kreutz) P.Delforge Ophrys attaviria subsp. cesmeensis Kreutz Ophrys attaviria f. eptapigiensis (Paulus) P.Delforge Ophrys attaviria f. thracica (Kreutz) P.Delforge Ophrys bilunulata Risso Ophrys bilunulata subsp. caesiella (P.Delforge) Paulus Ophrys bilunulata subsp. kalirachiensis Paulus, M.Hirth & Dimadis Ophrys bilunulata subsp. punctulata (Renz) Paulus Ophrys bilunulata subsp. sancti-isidorii (A.Saliaris, Saliaris & A.Alibertis) Paulus Ophrys blitopertha Paulus & Gack Ophrys caesiella P.Delforge Ophrys calocaerina Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys cesmeensis (Kreutz) P.Delforge Ophrys cinereophila Paulus & Gack Ophrys clara F.M.Vázquez & S.Ramos Ophrys creberrima Paulus Ophrys cressa Paulus Ophrys creticola Paulus Ophrys decembris S.Moingeon & J.-M.Moingeon Ophrys delforgei vDevillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys dianica M.R.Lowe, J.Piera, M.B.Crespo & J.E.Arnold Ophrys eleonorae Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys eptapigiensis Paulus Ophrys fabrella Paulus & Ayasse ex P.Delforge Ophrys fenarolii Ferlan Ophrys ficuzzana H.Baumann & Künkele Ophrys flammeola P.Delforge Ophrys forestieri Lojac. Ophrys funerea Viv. Ophrys fusca subsp. akhdarensis B.Baumann & H.Baumann Ophrys fusca subsp. arnoldii (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. atlantica (Munby) E.G.Camus Ophrys fusca subsp. attaviria (D.Rückbr., U.Rückbr., Wenker & S.Wenker) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. bilunulata (Risso) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. caesiella (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. calocaerina (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. cesmeensis (Kreutz) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. clara (F.M.Vázquez & S.Ramos) F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca subsp. creberrima (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys fusca subsp. cressa (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys fusca subsp. creticola (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys fusca subsp. delforgei (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca var. distincta F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca subsp. eptapigiensis (Paulus) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. fabrella (Paulus & Ayasse ex P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. flammeola (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca var. forestieri Rchb.f. Ophrys fusca subsp. forestieri (Rchb.f.) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. gackiae (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. gazella (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. hespera (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. laureotica Kalog., Delipetrou & A.Alibertis Ophrys fusca subsp. leucadica (Renz) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys fusca subsp. limensis F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca subsp. lindia (Paulus) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. lindleyana F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca subsp. lucana (P.Delforge, Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. lucentina (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. lucifera (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. lupercalis (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca var. lutea F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca var. lutescens F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca var. maculata Balayer Ophrys fusca subsp. maghrebiaca Kreutz, Rebbas, Babali, Miara & Ait-Hamm. Ophrys fusca subsp. marmorata (G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. minima Balayer Ophrys fusca subsp. obaesa (Lojac.) E.G.Camus Ophrys fusca subsp. ortuabis (M.P.Grasso & Manca) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. parosica (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. parvula (Paulus) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. pectus (Mutel) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. peraiolae (G.Foelsche, W.Foelsche, M.Gerbaud & O.Gerbaud) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. perpusilla (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. persephonae (Paulus) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. phaseliana (D.Rückbr. & U.Rückbr.) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. proxima (C.E.Hermos., Benito & Soca) F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca lusus ramosis F.M.Vázquez Ophrys fusca var. rubescens Balayer Ophrys fusca subsp. sabulosa (Paulus & Gack ex P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. sancti-isidorii A.Saliaris, Saliaris & A.Alibertis Ophrys fusca subsp. thracica Kreutz Ophrys fusca subsp. thriptiensis (Paulus) H.Kretzschmar Ophrys fusca subsp. zonata (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Kreutz Ophrys gackiae P.Delforge Ophrys × gauthieri nothosubsp. fenarolii (Ferlan) H.Baumann & Künkele Ophrys gazella Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys hespera Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys hospitalis P.Delforge Ophrys intermedia Tineo ex Lojac. Ophrys iricolor Desf. Ophrys iricolor subsp. astypalaeica (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys iricolor subsp. eleonorae (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Paulus & Gack Ophrys iricolor subsp. hospitalis (P.Delforge) Mifsud & L.Lewis Ophrys iricolor subsp. lojaconoi (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys iricolor subsp. maxima (A.Terracc.) Paulus & Gack Ophrys iricolor subsp. mesaritica (Paulus, C.Alibertis & A.Alibertis) Kreutz Ophrys iricolor subsp. vallesiana (Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers) Paulus & Gack Ophrys kedra Paulus Ophrys laetea Willk. & Lange Ophrys leucadica Renz Ophrys lindia Paulus Ophrys lindleyana H.Fleischm. ex G.Keller & Soó Ophrys lojaconoi P.Delforge Ophrys lucana P.Delforge, Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys lucentina P.Delforge Ophrys lucifera Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys lupercalis Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys lutea subsp. funerea (Viv.) Batt. Ophrys lutea subsp. subfusca (Rchb.f.) Murb. Ophrys lutea var. subfusca Rchb.f. Ophrys maghrebiaca (Kreutz, Rebbas, Babali, Miara & Ait-Hamm.) P.Delforge Ophrys malacitana M.R.Lowe, I.Phillips & Paulus Ophrys marmorata G.Foelsche & W.Foelsche Ophrys marmorata subsp. caesiella (P.Delforge) Véla & R.Martin Ophrys meropes P.Delforge Ophrys mesaritica Paulus, C.Alibertis & A.Alibertis Ophrys myodes Lapeyr. Ophrys obaesa Lojac. Ophrys ortuabis M.P.Grasso & Manca Ophrys pallida Raf. Ophrys pallidula Paulus Ophrys parosica P.Delforge Ophrys parosica var. phaseliana (D.Rückbr. & U.Rückbr.) P.Delforge Ophrys parvula Paulus Ophrys pectus Mutel Ophrys peraiolae G.Foelsche, W.Foelsche, M.Gerbaud & O.Gerbaud Ophrys peraiolae var. rubra G.Foelsche, W.Foelsche, M.Gerbaud & O.Gerbaud Ophrys perpusilla Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys persephonae Paulus Ophrys phaidra Paulus Ophrys phaseliana D.Rückbr. & U.Rückbr. Ophrys pratesii Gennaio, M.Gargiulo, Chetta & Medagli Ophrys proxima C.E.Hermos., Benito & Soca Ophrys pseudomigoutiana R.Martin, Véla & Ouni Ophrys punctulata Renz Ophrys rueckbrodtiana W.Hahn Ophrys sabulosa Paulus & Gack ex P.Delforge Ophrys sancti-isidorii (A.Saliaris, Saliaris & A.Alibertis) P.Delforge Ophrys sicula var. flammeola (P.Delforge) Hennecke Ophrys sicula var. urteae (Paulus) Hennecke Ophrys sphegodes subsp. moesziana (Soó) Maire Ophrys subfusca (Rchb.f.) Hausskn. Ophrys subfusca subsp. blitopertha (Paulus & Gack) Kreutz Ophrys subfusca subsp. cinereophila (Paulus & Gack) Kreutz Ophrys subfusca subsp. fenarolii (Ferlan) Del Prete Ophrys subfusca subsp. flammeola (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys subfusca subsp. lucentina (P.Delforge) Kreutz Ophrys subfusca subsp. persephonae (Paulus) Kreutz Ophrys sulcata Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys theophrasti Devillers & Devillers-Tersch. Ophrys thracica (Kreutz) Devillers & Devillers-Tersch. Ophrys thriptiensis Paulus Ophrys tricolor Desf. ex Nyman Ophrys urteae Paulus Ophrys vallesiana Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers Ophrys varinoi Soca Ophrys zonata Devillers-Tersch. & Devillers

Etymology

The genus name Ophrys comes from Greek and means 'eyebrow' - a reference to the hairy fringe of the lip of the flower of many orchids in this genus. The specific epithet fusca means 'dusky' or 'brown', while the subspecies name iricolor refers to the iridescent colouring of the speculum.^[5]

Pouyannian mimicry

The somber bee orchid imitates the appearance of a female common sand bee (Andrena flavipes) to attract males for pollination.^[6] Further pollinators are the sand bee (Andrena nigroaenea) and the spring silk bee (Colletes cunicularius).^[7] This is an example of Pouyannian mimicry

Subspecies

The following subspecies are currently recognized:^[1]

• Ophrys fusca subsp. blitopertha (Paulus & Gack) Faurh. & H.A.Pedersen
• Ophrys fusca subsp. cinereophila (Paulus & Gack) Faurh.
• Ophrys fusca subsp. durieui (Rchb.f.) Soó
• Ophrys fusca subsp. funerea (Viv.) Arcang.
• Ophrys fusca subsp. fusca
• Ophrys fusca subsp. iricolor (Desf.) K.Richt.
• Ophrys fusca subsp. pallida (Raf.) E.G.Camus