This is an uncommon member of the large O. mammosa group which takes its name from Hera who was the Goddess of women and marriage and who's sacred animal was the cow. She later changed this to the peacock for reasons unknown !
Its home is Greece, including the Aegean, Crete and Cyprus but its range is not known with certainty due to confusion with related species. Its perhaps at its most frequent in the Peloponnese though its not a common Ophrys anywhere.
Identification can be a problem, particularly on Crete where
there are many similar Ophrys from both within and outside its group. Perhaps the most significant of pointers is its
flowering time, which can be from as early as January. The
plants illustrated here are all from the Peloponnese and date
from the third week of March.
O. herae is the subject of considerable study at present and it seems some reclassification's are inevitable in the near future. Current thinking is restricting this species to the
island of Samos so we are not sure how this leaves the Greek mainland poulations. For the time being we offer these photos as being " the plant formerly known as O. herae " !
