Ophrys sphegodes - Early Spider Orchid - Große Spinnen-Ragwurz

No, it's not just another post about the same native orchid I posted three days ago, this time I wanna present another ophrys species out of the same family - more or less a "cousin" from the orchid I posted recently.

left: ophrys sphegodes  - Early Spider orchid - Große Spinnen-Ragwurz

right: Ophrys fuciflora - Late Spider orchid - Hummel-Ragwurz

The Early Spider orchid is a bit insignificant-looking compared to its more colourful family member Late Spider orchid.

You really have to come close to its little bloosom - otherwise you may not see how beautiful it is.

The flowers have yellow-green sepals and a velvety brown labellum with a distinctive H marking so that the flowers much resemble an arthropod and especially a spider.

Compared to the Late Spider orchid I found much more of this beautiful little flower in our local natural reserve. 

Have you ever tried to search for native orchids in the region you live?

Many of these European orchids exist from Scandinatia to southern Europe, but of course not all the species in every country. 

Good luck in your search for native orchids!

Native orchids in northern Italy

...cur! ;-)

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Some time ago I took a break from the job, from telephone, from Internet, even from TV and radio, 

but (of course) not from photography. 

Taking photos is a kind of  meditation and relaxation for me, especially if I paddle my own canoe!

We found a nice and quiet haven amidst a great olive grove, a small B&B hotel high above Garda Lake. 

What enchanted me most on the hotel grounds (aside from the fantastic view on the lake) was the fact that we found native orchids right on the grassland above the building we lived.

So please follow me on my orchid tour through the olive grove; 

the five different native species I found end of April flowered in the sunshine next to the olive trees,

but not directly in the shadow of the trees. 

This white beauty is Cephalanthera longifolia, known as 

Sword-leaved Helleborine or Narrow-leaved Helleborine in English.

Der deutsche Name ist Langblättriges oder Schwertblättrige Waldvöglein.

The most frequent orchid species on our grassland was of the genus orchis - 

known as Knabenkräuter in German.

More precisely: Orchis simia, the Monkey orchid (Affen-Knabenkraut)

Crimson red or nearly white - it's the same species:

orchis morio - Green-winged orchid - Kleines Knabenkraut

Now we chance the genus: Ophrys - Ragwurzen. Most of them small but colourful floral gems.

The characteristic "H" gives the right hint: it's a Ophrys sphegodes,

the Early spider orchid, in German "Große Spinnen-Ragwurz".

Last but not least the ophrys gem you only find in northern Italy, mainly around Lake Garda:

Ophrys benacensis - the Lake Garda orchid/ophrys - die Gardasee-Orchidee!

I hope you enjoyed my little tour through the hotel garden on top of beautiful Lago di Garda.

Cordiali saluti, Uwe.