Abstract

ZAMORA-CARRILLO, MÓNICA; AMAT-GARCIA, GERMÁN D.  and  FERNANDEZ-ALONSO, JOSÉ LUIS. Interaction of flowers flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) and Salvia bogotensis (Lamiaceae) in the Botanical Garden of Bogotá (Colombia). Caldasia [online]. 2011, vol.33, n.2, pp.453-470. ISSN 0366-5232.

The goal of this research was to describe the biological interaction between Salvia bogotensis (Lamiaceae) and the flower flies (Diptera:Syrphidae) in an urban setting, the Jardín Botánico “José Celestino Mutis” (Bogotá DC). After verifying the existence of the entomophily syndrome, the following aspects were studied: floral morphology, taxonomic composition, richness and abundance of syrphid species identified as flower visitors, and their cephalic and oral morphometry. S. bogotensis presents entomophily syndrome with absence of selfing. The Syrphid community associated with S.bogotensis included the following nine species in five genera: Allograpta neotropica Curran, 1936, Allograpta exotica Wiedermann, 1830, Allograpta annulipes Macquart, 1850, Allograpta aenea Hull, 1937, Lejops mexicana Macquart, 1842, Platycheirus ecuadoriensis Fluke, 1945, Platycheirus fenestrata Macquart, 1842, Syrphus shoree Fluke, 1950 and Toxomerus sp. 1. The species of flower flies (Syrphidae), as a whole, showed behavioral and morphological characteristics associated with low-efficiency pollinators, with a low rate of visits, inability for activation of levers staminal and minimal contact insect body with the anthers and stigma of the flower. Additionally, the flies showed a very low load of pollen grains of S. bogotensis in the body, and with high investment of time in cleaning its body (grooming). Flowers visited by these flies did not result in fruit. These results suggest that flower flies do not effectively participate in the pollination of S. bogotensis. Other insect visitors that might be responsible for the pollination of S. bogotensis were species of the families Apidae, Halictidae, and Megachilidae. Flower flies feed on the pollen of S. bogotensis but do not interfere with growth and plant development, indicating a commensalistic relationship with S. bogotensis.

Keywords : Comensalism; Diptera; Lamiaceae; flowers flies; polinization; Salvia bogotensis; Syrphidae.

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