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Chemical mimicry in sexually deceptive orchids of the genus Ophrys

The most spectacular case of floral mimicry is sexual deception, also called pseudocopulation, a pollination mechanism which is not known outside the Orchidaceae (AYASSE 2006). In sexually deceptive orchids the flowers mimic in shape, color and odor females of their pollinators, and thereby attract males for pollination. Male aculeate H y m e n o p t e r a are mostly involved in pollination of sexually deceptive orchids. Our investigations clearly demonstrated that odor signals are of primary importance for the attraction of the pollinating males (SCHIESTL & al. 1999, AYASSE & al. 2003). Ophrys flowers produce the same compounds in more or less similar relative amounts to the sex pheromone of females of their pollinators (AYASSE 2006). In O. sphegodes, saturated and unsaturated hydrocarbons triggered EAG responses in male antennae, and synthetic copies of these hydrocarbons, blended in the relative amounts found in the odor samples of females and the orchid flower, elicited copulatory attempts in males (SCHIESTL & al. 2000). Almost the same alkanes and alkenes were found to be biologically active in several allopatric and sympatric species of the Ophrys fusca group and in one species of the O. sphegodes/mammosa group pollinated by either A n d r e n a n i g r o a e n e a or A. f l av ipes (STÖKL & al. 2005). In contrast to the A n d r e n a pollinated species, investigations in the mirror orchid O. speculum have shown that pollinator attraction in sexually deceptive orchids may be also based on a few specific chemical compounds (AYASSE & al. 2003). O. speculum flowers produce many volatiles, including trace amounts of (co-l)-hydroxyand (co-l)-oxo acids, especially 9-hydroxydecanoic acid. These compounds, which are novel in plants,