Researchers at the University of Tokyo have discovered the first orchid species pollinated by gall midges, tiny fly species. This groundbreaking finding was published in the journal Ecology, shedding light on the intricate relationship between orchids and their pollinators. The team observed Oberonia japonica, a unique orchid species native to Japan, and found that the tiny orange flowers, arranged in whorls of five to six, were being pollinated exclusively by female gall midges during the night. This discovery raises further questions about the evolutionary dynamics of orchid pollination and the potential for more orchid species to be pollinated by gall midges globally.
https://phys.org/news/2024-03-tiny-orchid-pollinated-flies.html