Platanthera psycodes [pollination & insect interaction]

Small Purple Fringed Orchid [Platanthera psycodes]. Lake County, Mn. 7-13-24. Showing the anther sac on the right has been riped open and the pollinium within is missing. A clear sign that a butterfly visiting the the right opening of the nectary had the viscidium attached to its proboscis, and when leaving pulled the pollinium out of the anther sac. And upon visiting the next flower will stick the tip of the pollinium containing the pollinia on the stigma and pollination has been completed.

Small Purple Fringed Orchid [Platanthera psycodes]. Lake County, Mn. 7-13-24. Showing the viscidium at the tip of the anther sacs and an unknown object stuck to the viscidium on the left.

Small Purple Fringed Orchid [Platanthera psycodes]. Lake County, Mn. 7-13-24. Showing the beautiful anther sacs with the purple pollinaria inside.

This Yellow Crab Spider [Misumena vatia] has caught an unknown skipper butterfly on Platanthera psycodes. Lake County, Mn. 7-12-24 [above & below]

These two Small Purple Fringed Orchids [Platanthera psycodes] are separated by over a thousand miles and have evolved to have different individual structures to better help the pollinators in their specific areas. The flower on the left is from Lake County, Minnesota, and has developed a hood to divide the nectary into two openings that help its pollinators to better come into contact with the tips of the anther sacs where the viscidium is located. Whereas the flower on the right is from Coos County, New Hampshire, and has a single nectary opening, and is perfect size for the pollinators in its area to come into contact with the viscidium and pull the pollinaria from the anther sacs. An amazing adaptation of a plant, in this case an orchid, to help the pollinators that it has in its specific area to better pollinate its flowers and continue its species. This orchid is pollinated by a wide range of pollinators, including many butterflies and moths that have the pollinaria attached to the proboscis when visiting the flower and then transfer the pollinaria to the stigma of subsequent flowers visited.

Very colorful anther sacs on Small Purple Fringed Orchid [Platanthera psycodes]. Something that I have never run across before, tricolored anther sacs, white, brown and purple. All the anther sacs on this particular plant were like this. Lake County, Mn. 7-13-24

European Skipper [Thymelicus lineola] on Small Purple Fringed [Platanthera psycodes] orchid. Lake County, Mn. 7-13-24. Most likely a pollinator for Platanthera psycodes in this area.

Long Dash Skipper [Limochores mystic] on Small Purple Fringed Orchid [Platanthera psycodes]. Lake County, Mn. 7-14-24. Most likely a pollinator of Platanthera psycodes in this area.