Ophrys lupercalis  

Ophrys lupercalis P.DEVILLERS & J.DEVILLERS-TERSCHUREN (1994) is the early flowering fusca with big blooms, which is growing in big parts of the Mediterranean. It is currently not yet clear, whether it is identical with Ophrys fusca, which was described by LINK in 1800 near Lisbon in Portugal. It is the earliest fusca s.l. species in Sicily, the flower is starting in January. At least in Southern Sicily it is not rare. According to PAULUS and GACK in Jber.naturwiss.Ver.Wuppertal 43 (1990): 134 the bee (Mel)Andrena nigroaenea is the pollinator. If I have seen the species during my visits to Sicily at all, then only in mountain regions in fading state.

Ophrys lupercalis, F Nice 6.4.01 --- not Sicily ---	Ophrys lucifera, I Tuscany Monte Argentario 17.3.02 --- not Sicily ---
In Natural.belges 81 (Orchid. 13): 251 (2000) DELFORGE mentions Ophrys lucifera for Sicily, too, but without any information about sites. In the 2. edition 2001 of his 'Guide des Orchidées ...' he shows a bloom from Sicily, province of Siracusa. Ophrys lucifera has been described by DEVILLERS-TERSCHUREN & DEVILLERS (2000) in Natural.belges 81 (Orchid. 13): 322 from Monte Argentario (Tuscany). The orchids there reminded me at too big French bilunulata (sensu DELFORGE). Blooms like that I haven't seen in Sicily.
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