This ophrys was first described in 1997 from the Aegean island of Chios and since that time has been
found on the neighbouring islands of Lesbos and Kos as well as just one province in Anatolia. O. homeri
is a member of the O. heldreichii group
Its name commemorates Chios's most famous former inhabitant, the ancient poet Homer. In truth
Homer probably never existed and was the invention of Herodotus some 400 years later to give credibility to those world famous works, Iliad and Odyssey. Homer was deemed to be from Chios simply because he refers to "the men of Chios" in the Iliad.
This is a highly variable species but the species that O. homeri is perhaps most easily confused with,
is its close relative O. calypsus which shares many of its characteristics. Perhaps the most significant feature of O. homeri as compared to other similar species is the weediness of the plant itself, which although not short, is spindly and as it ages, the stem thins and individual flowers become widely spaced up it. ( See 3 )
Another important feature of O. homeri is the complete band of submarginal hairs which can be thick
and usually a very pale colour that contrasts with the dark brown lip itself. Speculum markings can be both elaborate and extensive, often reaching the basal swellings.
The photograph's all come from a site just outside the town of Pyrgi in Chios and date from the 12th
of April.
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