Colopogon tuberosus [pollination & insect interaction]

Crab Spider [Thomisidae] hunting on Common Grass Pink [Calopogon tuberosus]. Cass County, Mn. 7-15-24

European Skipper [Thymelicus skipper] on Calopogon tuberosus. Tioga County, Pa. 6-26-22​

European Skipper [Thymelicus skipper] on Calopogon tuberosus. Tioga County, Pa. 6-26-22​

The flowers of Calopogon tuberosus orchid appear to be up side down with the lip at the top of the flower, but appearances can be deceiving. For this orchid has a trick for being pollinated. When bees visit the tuffed of hairs at the top looking for pollen, bees, of correct weight, cause the hinged labellum to swing down causing the bee's back to come into contact with the sticky pollen at the bottom [you can see the grains of pollen at end of the column]. Upon leaving the bee, having pollen stuck on its back, goes on to find another flower and upon putting the pollen on the stigma of the next flower, and thus pollination has been completed. Many kinds of Bumble Bees [Bombus] are known pollinators.

Grains pollen at the tip of the column on Calopogon tuberosus.​