J. Alcock, Interactions between the sexually deceptive orchid Spiculaea ciliata and its wasp pollinator Thynnoturneria sp (Hymenoptera : Thynninae), J NAT HIST, 34(4), 2000, pp. 629-636
Males of the thynnine wasp Thynnoturneria sp. attempt to mate with female d
ecoys in the flowers of the elbow orchid Spiculaea ciliata. Experimentally
shifted orchids usually attract male wasps quickly, often within 2 minutes
of presentation of the 'bait' orchids in appropriate habitat. Although the
orchid effectively exploits the scramble competition mating system of the w
asp, the insect is not totally at the mercy of the deceptive orchid. Fewer
than half of all arriving males contact the column of the orchid flower, as
required for orchid pollination. Moreover, the number of deceived visitors
falls sharply over a short period and the number of wasp visitors does not
rebound with the replacement of one bait orchid by another at that locatio
n. These observations suggest that patrolling wasp pollinators can discrimi
nate to some extent between orchid decoys and female wasps, especially by l
earning to avoid particular locations that are associated with unrewarding
flower decoys.