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Trap-flower fly pollination in East African Ceropegia L. (Apocynaceae)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 February 2007

P. Siro Masinde
P. Siro Masinde*
Affiliation:
East African Herbarium, National Museums of Kenya, PO Box 45166-00100, Nairobi, Kenya
*
*Email: siromasinde@hotmail.com
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Abstract

Pollination in the genus Ceropegia L. (Apocynaceae: Asclepiadoideae–Ceropegieae) in East Africa is discussed based on field observations and herbarium studies. All inferred or confirmed pollinators are small, mostly female dipteran flies, c. 2.5mm long, which carry pollinaria on their proboscis. Identified putative pollinator flies belong to families Milichiidae, Chloropidae and Ceratopogonidae. The most important factors for an insect to effect pollination appear to be the appropriate overall size, i.e. small size of c. 3×;3mm at most, and appropriate mouth parts, i.e. extendible probosces with suitable surfaces and adjacent pads on which a pollinarium can attach. The complex and diverse floral morphology of the tubular flowers and their disposition as well as other commonly occurring features namely, diverse interior and exterior coloration, diverse scents, secretions such as nectar and water droplets, vibratile corolla lobes and hairs, specialized hairs, interior sculpturing, sliding zones and differential lighting within the flower are important mechanisms for attracting and detaining insect pollinators.

Keywords

ApocynaceaeAsclepiadoideaeCeropegiaDipteramutualismpollination
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Tropical Insect Science , Volume 24 , Issue 1 , March 2004 , pp. 55 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © ICIPE 2004

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