Ophrys fusca sensu lato, Link 1799
(O.fusca group) Delforge 2006
Its dull and rather sad colour makes it look like an indifferent bug on a bush. Because that's exactly what the bubble oyster wants. If you look closely you can see that it's a flower. And what a flower.
Because it has nothing to give to the insect that it needs for pollination, it, like the other ophrys, imitates the appearance of the female of a particular insect, spreads its scent in the air and waits for the naive male who, in his rush to mate, is fooled and transfers the precious pollen to another flower, enabling the species to perpetuate itself. In this effort, the bubble bud constantly changes its appearance to make itself attractive.
It prefers the difficult, growing among the toadstools and thorns of the Mediterranean, in rocky locations with low vegetation. So do the dozens of species or varieties that exist throughout Europe and the Mediterranean and give experts a headache.
