Pouyannian mimicry

The flower mimics a potential female mate of a male insect, which then serves the plant as a pollinator.

[1] Floral mimicry involves the imitation of other plants or animals, including of coloration, morphology, egg deposition sites, provoking scents, and mating signals.

[1] In 1916, Pouyanne, with Henry Correvon, described his observations in Algeria:[4][5] Several orchids (Orchidaceae) make use of floral mimicry.

These orchids have evolved traits matching the preferences of specific pollinator niches, leading to adaptive speciation.

[7] The mimicry involves secreting chemicals from glands (osmophores) in the sepals, petals, or labellum, that are indistinguishable from the insect's natural pheromones.

Flowering plants that do not produce such rewards can instead attract pollinators through mimicry — a form of convergent evolution.

[6] Chemical compounds (more specifically, alkanes and alkenes), while used for sexual deception, are produced in many species of Ophrys, and likely were preadapted for other functions before being co-opted for mimicry.

Pouyannian mimicry with pseudocopulation , compared to Batesian mimicry . Pouyannian mimicry is bipolar, with only 2 species involved, as the dupe and the model are of the same species, such as a pollinating bee. [ 1 ]