Ames • Pollination of Orchids through Pseudocopulation 41 



the orchids are neglected and yield few cumstances, in exceptional seasons, 



if any seeds. And once the females of may operate for a ven,' limited time. 



Scolid ciliata appear, the males ap- Since 1916 when Pouyanne's obser- 



parcntly lose interest in the orchid vations were published, pscudocopula- 



flower and pseudocopulation is no tion has been recorded for at least six 



longer performed. Here indeed is a species of Ophrys and for four species 



circumstance that is rather amazing, of Cryptostylis. 



It forces us to assume gradual change It may be that those who would re- 



and a series of slow modifications ject the evolutionary approach to an 



through a prodigiously long period of understanding of life and who prefer 



time before the male insect and the to regard the world as the product of 



orchid became biologically adjusted. Special Creation will lean a little more 



Is it not true, that in contemplating lightly on human weakness when they 



the action of Natural Selection as Dar- discover moral turpitude among the 



win propounded the doctrine, we insects. And it may be that entomol- 



think of modifying influences as being ogists, who see for insect societies 



prolonged or in constant operation on parallels in human institutions, will be- 



the affected organism? And vet the di- come Freudian in their outlook when 



rect stimuli associated with pseudo- discussing the sexual vagaries revealed 



copulation that have affected the by symbiotic phenomena and introduce 



flowers in the ease of Ophrys speculum, such terms as Lissopimplan behavior or 



have been confined in their action to Ophrydean complex. Perhaps even the 



the brief flowering period, to the dura- poet will have to reconsider whether 



tion of anthesis, and under certain cir- "Only man is vile." 



QUESTIONS 



1. What is meant by the term "pseudo- ship to both insect and orchid? Ex- 

 copulation"? plain. 



3. Speculate how such a relationship 



2. Is this relationship of mutual relation- could have come about solely through 



Natural Selection. 



