If we cannot believe the first page of the Bible why would anyone believe anything that comes after? More and more science is proving the Bible to be true and not the other way around.
When we look at our world in a logical and rational manner the theory of evolution has more holes in it than my kitchen colander. It just doesn’t hold up.
Orchids are a great example of how evolution doesn’t make sense – the only thing that does makes sense is an intelligent designer!
Orchids are a widespread family of flowering plants. What makes them so interesting is that orchids use 3 very fascinating strategies to make sure they get pollinated.
1)Alluring Smell
Orchids mimic the sex pheromones or aphrodisiacs of certain insects. They release an irresistible perfume that mimics that of a fertile female insect thereby luring the male insects to them. Overcome by the smell the male insect attempts to mate with the flower. Although they don’t succeed they do pick up quite a bit of pollen that will be used to pollinate the next flower they go to.
What is extra amazing is the fact that they are specific in which insect they attract. For example, the Spider Orchid mimics the pheromones of solitary wasps. Although some older wasps have caught on to the ploy the ritual persists and the orchids are mainly pollinated by newly-emerged males.
2) Visual
Not all orchids just rely on smell but others also use visual lures to ensure success. Australia’s Hammer Orchid is a great example of this.
Again the Hammer Orchid targets a specific insect which is the thynnine wasp. In 2012 it was discovered that hammer orchids produce chemicals called pyrazines to lure the male wasps in.
But the Hammer Orchid doesn’t stop there. Each flower has a landing platform called a labellum or lip, which is a modified petal that is shaped like a hammer (hence the name). This labellum resembles the look of a female wasp.
The labellum’s shape also manipulates the male’s mating practice. How does it do this? Well, female thynnine wasps are flightless, so when ready to mate she crawls up a stick to release her pheromones. The male wasp flies down picks her up and they start to mate as he carries her to a food source. When a male goes to mate with the hammer orchid the labellum is mounted on a hinge so when the momentum of the male wasp to grab and fly away makes him swing over, flipping him upside down. He lands on the stigma, ensuring that his pollen load ends up exactly where the orchid needs it.
3) Entrapment
Some orchids go even farther than that…
The Banded Greenhood Orchid Pterostylis Sanguinea targets the fungus gnat. The fungus gnat is attracted to the flower by its scent but when he lands on the labellum to mate his movements cause the labellum to swing up like a drawbridge, shutting him inside a chamber.
To get out the fungus gnat has to squeeze out which smears the pollen the gnat was carrying on to the orchid’s stigma, and then he picks up a new parcel of pollen for the next flower. To ensure that the orchid doesn’t get pollinated with its own pollen, the gnat’s temporary prison is precisely shaped and lined with angled bristles so the insect can only move in one direction.
Are orchids amazingly designed or what!?!
Last time I checked, plants didn’t have intellect. And since evolution states that everything is random how could this very complex pollinating system ever evolve? It’s just not possible without an intelligent designer behind it.
Angela Grover
Author, It's Time to Fight
Founder of Sanctification Day By Day
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