Don’t forget the flies: dipteran diversity and its consequences for floral ecology and evolution

摘要: The attention of the global pollination community has been drawn to food safety and other ecosystem services provided by pollinators, in light decline social bee populations. Despite intensified research on bees, recent studies have revealed important contributions flies success, reproductive isolation floral diversification. Diptera is a highly diverse insect order, comprising over 125,000 described species 110 families representing broad spectrum ecological niches beyond well-known agricultural pests blood-feeding vectors human animal diseases. Flies are most appreciated as generalized pollinators alpine habitats (anthomyiids tachinids) specialized brood-site deceptive plants that mimic fungi (drosophilids), feces (muscids) or carrion (sarcophagids calliphorids). Syrphid bombyliid visit many same flowers bees butterflies do, but with different impacts plant fitness. Guilds South African evolved relationships long-tongued nemestrinid tabanid flies, thanks geographic climatic stability. Studies Japan highlight evolution another guild, pollinated sciarid mycetophilid fungus gnats, whereas Zygothrica (Drosophilidae) pollinate mushroom-like Dracula orchids Andean cloud forests.