2016-11-13 15:51:51
Certain species of flies seem to live dangerously. The danger they run can be even greater than that of being crushed by a fly swatter, or being poisoned by an insecticide spray. And it turns out that these flies dare to steal food from nothing less than spiders. These flies belong to the family of insects called kleptoparasites. As the Greek-derived prefix “clepto” indicates, these flies steal some of the hard-earned food of certain spider species.
The story does not end there because another extraordinary character intervenes in the lives of these flies. These are plants of the genus Ceropegia, which depend for their reproduction on pollination by flies of kleptoparasitic species. An article published in Current Biology reveals the secrets of this intricate relationship.
The authors of the article wondered if the flowers of the Ceropegia plants emit odors similar to those that bees emit when they have been captured in a spider web, in particular, if they will not emit odors similar to those generated by the volatile compounds present in the venom that the bee releases when it is close to its death.
The study confirms that the species of flies that most frequently visit Ceropegia flowers are kleptoparasites. In particular, it is the females of these insects, which need nutrients taken from the spiders’ prey for the generation of eggs, the ones that go to these flowers the most.
Analysis of the volatile compounds emitted by the flowers revealed that these were similar to those released by European or South African bees when they were attacked or trapped. Among the multiple volatile components emitted by flowers and bees, the scientists specifically identified four that, mixed together, were capable of powerfully attracting kleptoparasitic flies. Surprisingly, one of these compounds is geraniol, a component of the essential oils of roses and citronella, from the chemical family of alcohols, and also found in smaller amounts in geraniums, from which it derives its name.
More information on Jorge Laborda’s Blog: robber flies and lying flowers
Referencia: Heiduk et al., Ceropegia sandersonii Mimics Attacked Honeybees to Attract Kleptoparasitic Flies for Pollination, Current Biology (2016),
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