The moth Acontia luctuosa and orchid pollen, 1862. Artist: Unknown
The moth Acontia luctuosa and orchid pollen, 1862. This shows seven pairs of pollinia of Orchis pyramidalis on the moth's proboscis. The pollen would have become attached when the insect fed on the flower's nectar. When the next Orchis pyramidalis was visited the pollen would be left in a flower, thus cross-fertilizing it. From The Contrivances by which Orchids are Fertilized by Insects by Charles Darwin. (London, 1862).
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Photo credit: © Oxford Science Archive/Heritage Images / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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