Read the following description of a plant-pollinator interaction: "In a Mediterranean plant, one floral part bears an uncanny resemblance to a female insect in size, colour, and markings. The male insect is attracted to what it perceives as a female, and during pseudocopulation, gets dusted with pollen from the flower." Identify the plant and the specific ecological phenomenon it exhibits.

Step-by-step solution

The given description refers to the Mediterranean orchid Ophrys , which employs a mechanism known as 'sexual deceit' to achieve pollination. In this phenomenon, one petal of the flower mimics the female bee. The male bee is deceived and attempts to copulate with the flower (pseudocopulation), inadvertently transferring pollen in the process. Yucca and Fig exhibit mutualism with their respective pollinators (moth and wasp) and offer safe places for egg-laying as rewards, rather than employing deceit. Brood parasitis