Description
Caleana major
The Flying Duck Orchid. This beautiful orchid highlights nature’s ability to adapt and thrive through the art of deception.
How could you not love this orchid? This is nature at its best and most deceptive. To us, this little orchid with the nodding head resembles a flying duck, but to the male Sawfly, this nodding head (the labellum) is a perfect mimic of a female Sawfly, enticing him with its appearance.
Not only does the Duck Orchid deceive the Sawfly visually, but it has also mastered the art of mimicry by producing the sex pheromone of the female Sawfly. The unsuspecting male, then lands on the labellum, triggering the orchid’s head to snap shut, trapping the Sawfly in the column.
In its struggle to escape, the Sawfly rubs against the orchid’s pollen. When it finally frees itself, it flies off, transferring the pollen another Duck Orchid. Once the Sawfly escapes, the orchid resets itself, lying in wait for the next unsuspecting visitor.
Framed 800 x 800
