Deceptive signaling is widespread in nature with, for example, certain orchids l

Question

Deceptive signaling is widespread in nature with, for example, certain orchids luring pollinator wasps to them with flower petals that smell like receptive female wasps. This case is a Darwinian puzzle because: The proportion of orchid flowers that set fruit as result of successful pollination is actually pretty small. Natural selection ought to favour discriminating behaviour on the part of male wasps so that they do not waste time, energy, and even sperm on orchid flowers. Time and energy spent on orchids reduces the capacity of the wasp population to grow, since the deceptive plants slow the ability of male wasps to fertilize all the eggs of their females. It is next to impossible to figure out how orchid flowers evolved to smell like the females of certain wasps.

Explanation / Answer

(a) The proportion of orchid flowers that set fruit as a result of successful pollination is actually very small.

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