First record of simuliidae (Diptera) with pollinaria of asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae) attached

Abstract

The presence of pollinaria of two species of Asclepiadoideae (Apocynaceae), possibly. Tassadia cf. martiana Decne. and T. cf. obovata Decne., attached to the mouth parts of simulid black flies [Cerqueirellum amazonicum (Goeldi), C. argentiscutum (Shelley & Luna Dias), C. oyapockense (Floch & Abonnenc), and Cerqueirellum sp.] are reported for the first time. The frequency and distribution of simulids recorded with pollinaria suggest that removal of pollinaria by these flies is not casual. Simulids probably use nectar in flowers of Asclepiadoideae as source of sugar, being able to remove their pollinaria. This finding demonstrates that simulids are not only vector of pathogenic parasites, but also carry pollinaria, and thus may represent a group of pollinators for species of Asclepiadoideae with small flowers.