About Ophrys sphegodes subsp. helenae (Renz) Soó & D.M.Moore
This taxon is a subspecies of early spider orchid, with scientific name Ophrys sphegodes subsp. helenae (Renz) Soó & D.M.Moore. Its plant height varies depending on latitude: maximum height is around 20 cm (8 in) in the United Kingdom, while plants growing around the Mediterranean can reach 70 cm (28 in). It flowers from March to May, with a slightly shifted flowering window of April to May in more northern latitudes. A single shoot can produce between 2 and 18 flowers. The flowers have yellow-green sepals and a velvety red-brown labellum marked with a distinctive silvery-blue H shape. This marking makes the flowers strongly resemble an arthropod, particularly a spider. It is visually similar to Ophrys fuciflora (late spider orchid) and Ophrys apifera (bee orchid), but can be distinguished by key features. In late spider orchid and bee orchid, petals are much smaller than sepals, while in this early spider orchid subspecies, petals and sepals are similar in size. It can also be told apart by the color pattern on the labellum: late spider orchid has a yellow point at the center of the distal end of the labellum, while bee orchid has a red patch at the proximal end of the labellum. This subspecies grows in unimproved alkaline meadows, woodland edges, slopes, banks, and waste land. It is widespread across most of Europe and the Middle East, ranging from Britain south to Portugal and east to Iran. In Britain, it is restricted to parts of Dorset, Hampshire, Kent, and Sussex and is considered rare. However, where it does grow, it can form large stands containing many hundreds of individual plants. It is classified as a British Red Data Book plant. Despite its apparent vulnerability in Britain, it has successfully colonized the chalk spoil dumping grounds at Samphire Hoe near Dover, created from the Channel Tunnel excavation. As of 2018, the IUCN lists the full species Ophrys sphegodes with a global conservation status of least concern. In the United Kingdom, the parent species Ophrys sphegodes is pollinated by Andrena nigroaenea, the miner bee. This pollinator is polylectic, meaning it visits many different flower species, and it requires dry sandy soils to survive. Different subspecies of Ophrys sphegodes have evolved to attract different pollinator species. This orchid can form symbiotic relationships with a wide range of mycorrhizal fungi species.
