Dries Engelen Inventorying and mapping the orchids of the island of Antikythera (Greece), including a new taxon: Ophrys aegilica (Orchidaceae) Abstract Engelen, D.: Inventorying and mapping the orchids of the island of Antikythera (Greece), including a new taxon: Ophrys aegilica (Orchidaceae). -Fl. Medit. 30: 273-291. 2020. -ISSN: 1120-4052 printed, 2240-4538 online. The Mediterranean Basin with all its islands encompasses a high diversity of plant species. Nonetheless, floristic overviews of

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... ese islands are often incomplete or lacking entirely and as a result they have an increased chance of harboring undescribed taxa. In 2014, I stumbled on such a likely new taxon belonging to the mammosa-complex of the genus Ophrys (Orchidaceae) on Antikythera, Greece. Therefore, in March 2018, I organized a 3 week orchid survey on the island during which 14226 specimens of 12 species were recorded, including the new taxon Ophrys aegilica. It mostly resembles O. taigetica, but differs from this species in habitat preference and flowering time, as well as a few morphological features (e.g. size of the petals). Furthermore, I report on the local status of other orchid species on Antikythera, including 4 which have not previously been observed on the island: Anacamptis papilionacea subsp. aegaea, Neotinea maculata, Ophrys bombyliflora, and O. attica. For at least three species their occurrence on Antikythera marks the border of their distributional range in Greece. These results underline the importance of botanical surveys on Mediterranean islands during winter and early spring in order to get a complete picture of the occurrence and distribution of plant species. For the future conservation of orchids on Antikythera it is important that the vegetation keeps its open character, especially on former agricultural terraces, and that currently unknown pollinators are identified.