Ophrys apifera: Closing the floral cycle in Serviès (Aude, France)

The presence of orchids in the meadows of Serviès-en-Val (Aude) on June 7th and 8th offered a good example of floral succession. Of the four species observed, the Ophrys apifera was the only one already in its final phase, with most flowers spent or with fruits developing.

Nevertheless, we were still able to document a few specimens with the last flower quite intact. This small survivor, with its velvety labellum mimicking a bee, coexisted along the same road verges with the thriving Anacamptis pyramidalis and Serapias vomeracea, marking the end of the Bee Orchid's cycle and the peak bloom of the other species.