Orchids attach their pollinaria (cohesive masses of pollen) to specific body parts of flower visitors, but usually not to the hairy and scaly body parts of flower-visiting moths, because hairs and scales are easily detached. We demonstrate that pollinaria of Habenaria sagittifera (Orchidaceae) are transferred among flowers on the hairy thoraxes of moths in Japan. Diurnal and nocturnal insects visited the orchid flowers. However, pollinaria were attached only to the hairy thoraxes of plusiine moths (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). All pollinaria were directly attached to the ventral thorax surfaces at the bases of hairs. Orchid spur lengths matched plusiine proboscis lengths so that nectar-feeding moths contacted the viscidia (sticky pads of pollinaria) and stigma. Other flower visitors did not contact the viscidia or stigmas while feeding on nectar. Habenaria sagittifera appears to have a floral morphology that is adaptive for the transfer of pollinaria on the thoraxes of plusiine moths.

中文翻译：

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夜蛾作为Habenaria sagittifera（兰科）的传粉媒介：花粉适应性在蛾的胸上转移花粉

兰花将花粉（花粉的凝聚性物质）附着在花朵访客的特定身体部位，但通常不附着在访花蛾的毛状和鳞状身体部位，因为它们的头发和鳞屑很容易脱落。我们证明了剑兰（Habenaria sagittifera）的花粉病（兰科）在日本飞蛾的毛胸上的花朵之间转移。白天和夜间的昆虫都参观了兰花。但是，花粉病仅附着在毛绒蛾的毛胸上（鳞翅目：夜蛾科）。所有花粉病都直接附着在毛根的腹胸部表面。兰花骨刺的长度与长喙的长度相匹配，因此，采食花蜜的蛾子会接触到粘虫（花粉的粘性垫）和柱头。其他花客在以花蜜为食时没有接触到粘性或柱头。矢车菊（Habenaria sagittifera）似乎具有花形，可适应花粉aria在胸蛾蛾胸部的转移。