Photo of the Day
Wasps flying near an orchid
September 11, 2009
King Spider Orchid
This Month in Photo of the Day: National Geographic Magazine
Following a perfume trail to its source, male wasps in Australia ravish a king spider orchid. Sure the red "lip" is a mate, they rub against it; one will take away the plant's pollen. Every orchid has a petal modified for pollination, some theatrically so.
Caladenia pectinata; thynnid wasp
See more photographs from the September 2009 feature story "Love and Lies."
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