Cyprus Bee Orchid (Ophrys kotschyi) Antifonitis monastery grounds, Valley northeast of Alevkaya Kyrenia Hills Northern Cyprus

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They are called "Bee orchids" due to the flower resemblance to the furry bodies of bees. Their scientific name Ophrys is the Greek word for "eyebrow", referring to the furry edges of the lips of several species. Orchids of the genus Ophrys use sexual deception to attract pollinators to their flowers (Schiestl 2005).

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Size: 3401px × 5120px
Location: near Antifonitis monastery, Kyrenia hills, Northern Cyprus, Turkey, Mediterranean, Europe
Photo credit: © Krystyna Szulecka Photography / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: alevkaya, bee, bloom, blooms, close-, country, cyprus, europe, flora, flower, flowers, kotschyi, kyrenia, mediterranean, nature, north, northern, ophrys, orchid, orchidea, plant, plants, spring, temperate, texture, wild, wildflower, wildflowers