Ophrys sphegodes 

Early spider orchid 

Photographed 

 S England, 27 April 1997

Negative number 97J11A

The height of this orchid is quoted as 6 to 24 inches (15 to 60 cm). The South coast of England is the northern limit of its range and there 6 inches seems exceptionally tall, rather than the minimum height. The labellum is normally 9 to 18 mm wide and long. There are many species in Europe that are very closely related to this species, some possibly destined to be deleted from the species list as a result of DNA sequencing.