The mimicry is near-perfect. For example, the Australian hammer orchid has taken advantage of a mating ritual of the Thynnid wasp, which involves a female wasp waiting on top of a branch or plant ...

For instance, the bee orchid (Ophrys apifera) has flowers that closely resemble female bees, enticing male bees to attempt mating and thereby facilitating pollination. This intricate mimicry not ...

Orchids have been around from time immemorial. Whimsical growths are found globally, except on glaciers. A majority grows ...

Mimicry in Nature occurs when a plant or animal gains something by employing the signals sought out by another. It’s a three-way strategy involving the mimic, in this case, the orchid; its model, here ...

But new research has revealed that the mantis is not trying to copy orchids specifically. To its insect prey, it looks like a number of flowers. Imperfect mimicry is actually a clever strategy - by ...