A5. O. blitopertha group


This group is made up of only two species, O. blitopertha and O. persephonae.O. blitopertha is distributed over the Aegean archipelago and south-western Turkey. O. persephonae, a species just discovered on the Greek island of Rhodes, and described by Prof. H.F. Paulus in 2001 (see OPHRYS NEWS 5) is, as far as known, restricted to this island.
O. blitopertha is pollinated by a beetle Blitopertha lineolata (Scarabaeidae), which is most remarkable for an Ophrys. The pollinator of O. persephonae is not yet known.


A5-1.
A5-2.		 O. blitopertha
O. persephonae

2 species documented for the time being - see below for details


A5-1. O. blitopertha H.F.Paulus 1998

This very strange Ophrys has the particularity of being pollinated by a beetle, Blitopertha lineolata, which, as far as known, is unique in the genus.
This is an oriental plant, distributed from the Cyclads to Anatolia.
It's a slender and small plant, growing in very sunny garrigues and other open places, contrary to the next species which favours more dark pine woods. The species is very variable as can be seen from slides 2 to 9, all flowering together at the same Rhodian site, the same day.
Zissis Antonopoulos (Thessaloniki, Greece) discovered it on the island of Kos and has kindly given slides 10-11. He noted the presence of plants with large lips (length 12-13 mm, slide 10) and also plants with smaller ones (length 8-10 mm, slides 11).
Etymologically, the archaic Greek verb περθω (pertho), used by Homere and Herodote, means "to destroy, to wipe out", and βλητο (blito) is the name of plants belonging to the genus Chenopodium, wild spinaches, probably refering to the nutritive plant of the pollinating insect.
Cet étrange petit Ophrys a la particularité, apparemment unique dans le genre, d'être pollinisé par un coléoptère, Blitopertha lineolata. C'est une plante orientale répandue des Cyclades à l'Anatolie.
C'est une espèce grêle, souvent petite, qui affectionne les milieux très ensoleillés, garrigues, bords des chemins,..., au contraire de l'espèce suivante qui préfère l'ombre des pinèdes. Elle est très variable comme en témoignent les dias 2 à 9, toutes faites le même jour, au même endroit, à Rhodes.
Zissis Antonopoulos (Thessalonique, Grèce) l'a découverte à Kos où il a noté la présence de plantes aux grands labelles (longueur 12-13 mm, dia 10) et d'autres aux labelles nettement plus petits (longueur 8-10 mm, dia 11).
Au point de vue étymologique, le verbe grec archaïque περθω (pertho), utilisé par Homère et Hérodote, signifie "détruire, anéantir", et βλητο (blito) désigne les plantes du genre Chenopodium, les épinards sauvages, en allusion sans doute à la plante nourricière du pollinisateur.

Bibliography :
Paulus,H.F. 1998.- Der Ophrys fusca s. str. - Komplex auf Kreta und anderer Ägäisinseln mit Beschreibung von O. blitopertha, O. creberrima, O. cinereophila, O. cressa, O. thriptiensis und O. creticola ssp. nov. (Orchidaceae). J. Eur. Orch. 30: 157-201.
O. blitopertha 1
Slide Pierre Delforge
Rhode-St-Genèse, Belgium		Greece, Naxos25-04-1997
O. blitopertha 2Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 3
With very flat flowers		 Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 4
A scape with three flowers		 Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 5Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 6Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 7
With very convex lip		 Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 8
With very convex lip		 Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 9
With obscured yellow around the lip		 Greece, Rhodes
Gennadi		29-03-2005
O. blitopertha 10
Lip length: 12-13 mm
Slide Zissis Antonopoulos
Greece, Thessaloniki		Greece, Kos
138 m		16-04-2005
O. blitopertha 11
Lip length: 8-10 mm
Slide Zissis Antonopoulos
Greece, Thessaloniki		Greece, Kos
138 m		16-04-2005
O. blitopertha 12Greece, Samos
Kambos - Kallithea
Ag. Kiriaki		11-04-2006
O. blitopertha 13Greece, Samos
Kambos - Kallithea
Ag. Kiriaki		11-04-2006
O. blitopertha 14
Slide Hans Dekker
Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
Habitus		Turkey, Antalya
Oymapinar		22-03-2006
O. blitopertha 15
Slide Hans Dekker
Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
Two plants		Turkey, Antalya
Oymapinar		22-03-2006
O. blitopertha 16
Slide Hans Dekker
Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
Turkey, Antalya
Oymapinar		22-03-2006
O. blitopertha 17
Slide Hans Dekker
Hoogeveen, The Netherlands
Turkey, Antalya
Oymapinar		22-03-2006


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A5-2. O. persephonae H.F.Paulus 2001

This is the second species of the group. It was recently discovered on the island of Rhodes by Dr. Hannes F. Paulus (Vienna, Austria) and, for the time being, was not found anywhere else. The pollinator is still unknown.
The plant has a different ecology that O. blitopertha, favouring the shadow of pine forests, and is said to be stronger growing, although this is perhaps not the case of every single one, small plants with one or two flowers being also present.
As you will see, the species is quite variable, slides 1 to 6 belong to the same population, snapped on the same day.
You will find more informations about it under OPHRYS NEWS n°5.
Plant is named in honour of Persephone, goddess of the Underworld. Be cautious, you're coming near dangerous places!
Il s'agit de la deuxième espèce du groupe. Elle vient d'être découverte à Rhodes par le Dr. Hannes F.Paulus, (Vienne, Autriche) et, jusqu'à présent, nulle part ailleurs. Son pollinisateur reste inconnu.
L'écologie de la plante n'est pas la même que celle d'O. blitopertha. O. persephonae préfère en effet l'ombre des pinèdes. Il a la réputation d'être en moyenne une plante plus robuste, mais on trouve aussi des exemplaires plus grêles n'ayant qu'une ou deux fleurs.
Comme vous le constaterez en regardant les dias 1 à 6, toutes faites au même endroit le même jour, l'espèce est très variable.
Vous trouverez davantage d'informations la concernant dans OPHRYS NEWS n°5.
La plante est dédiée à Perséphone, déesse des Enfers. Soyez prudents, vous approchez d'endroits dangereux!

Bibliography:
Kreutz,C.A.J. 2002.- The orchids of Rhodes and Karpathos. Seckel & Kreutz Publishers, Raalte & Landgraaf: 192-195.
Paulus, H.F. 2001.- Daten zur Bestäubungsbiologie und Systematik der Gattung Ophrys in Rhodos (Griechenland) mit Beschreibung von Ophrys parvula, Ophrys persephonae, Ophrys lindia, Ophrys eptapigiensis spec. nov. aus der Ophrys fusca s. str. Gruppe und Ophrys cornutula spec. nov. aus der Ophrys oestrifera-Gruppe (Orchidaceae und Insecta, Apoidea). Ber. Arbeitskrs. Heim. Orch. 18(1): 38-86.
O. persephonae 1
With large yellow edge		 Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 2Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 3
Very convex lip, narrow yellow edge		 Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 4Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 5
Almost no yellow edge around the lip		 Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 6
A scape with three flowers		 Greece, Rhodes
Loutani valley
Locus typicus		28-03-2005
O. persephonae 7Greece, Rhodes
Apollona - Laerma		07-03-2010
O. persephonae 8Greece, Rhodes
Apollona - Laerma		07-03-2010
O. persephonae 9
Side view		Greece, Rhodes
Apollona - Laerma		07-03-2010
O. persephonae 10Greece, Rhodes
Apollona - Laerma		07-03-2010


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