O. cesmeensis was first described from Ismir, Anatolia as a subspecies of O. attaviria by Kreutz in 2003 and subsequently promoted to full species status by Delforge. Its name refers to the Cesme Peninsula, the region in which it was discovered.

This species was originally thought to be endemic to Anatolia and more particularly to the Cesme Peninsula which juts into the Aegean sea less than 10 kms from the Greek island of Chios. It's perhaps no surprise therefore that the taxon has now been reported not just from Chios but from its neighbours, Lesbos and Kos. O. cesmeensis is a small but impressive Ophrys with a robust stem and lax inflorescence that rarely holds more than four colourful flowers and often just one or two. The species is notable for the neat basal rosette of silvery green leaves, a characteristic that can be observed in several Ophrys species, but which is particularly pronounced in this rare and little researched orchid.

Unlike many Pseudophrys, O. cesmeensis generally seems to shun hot, dry conditions preferring a degree of shade and moist alkaline soils, conditions which can be commonly found in open pine woods, abandoned olive groves and overgrown cultivation. The relatively large flowers serve to easily distinguish this species from similar taxa but a further distinctive characteristic is the lip which is generally reflexed at both basal and distal ends whilst exhibiting a flat central labellum. There is always a thick, well delineated band around the margins of the lip and whilst this is most usually a vivid yellow, it can in rare examples be light orange.

The photos come from the Aegean islands of Kos and Lesbos, dating from the first week of April.