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Questions for Discussion: Mimicry: The Orchid and the Bee
Discuss how visual similarities between these orchid flowers and their pollinating insects suggest an hypothesis in the context of evolutionary theory. It is well known that many insects respond to both visual and odor cues when courting and mating. If this is the case for the bees in this example, what predictions might you make. Can you think of a way to test this prediction? The bees that pollinate this genus of orchids generally mate shortly after emerging from winter dormancy. Generally, male bees emerge from dormancy a short time before females. What selective pressure would you predict this behavior to exert on the timing of flowering in orchids that depend for pollination on tricking male bees into attempting to copulate with them?
