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Pollination Trap
Pollination traps or trap-flowers are plant flower structures that aid the trapping of insects, mainly flies, so as to enhance their effectiveness in pollination. The structures of pollination traps can include deep tubular corollas with downward pointing hairs, slippery surfaces, adhesive liquid, attractants (often deceiving the insects by the use of sexual attractants rather than nectar reward and therefore termed as deceptive pollination), flower closing and other mechanisms. In many species of orchids, the flowers produce chemicals that deceive male insects by producing attractants that mimic their females. The males are then led into structures that ensure the transfer of pollen to the surfaces of the insects. Orchids in the genus ''Pterostylis'' have been found to attract male fungus gnats with chemical attractants and then trap them using a mobile petal lip. The general observation of insects being trapped and aiding pollination were made as early as 1872 by Thomas Frederi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pollination Trap
Pollination traps or trap-flowers are plant flower structures that aid the trapping of insects, mainly flies, so as to enhance their effectiveness in pollination. The structures of pollination traps can include deep tubular corollas with downward pointing hairs, slippery surfaces, adhesive liquid, attractants (often deceiving the insects by the use of sexual attractants rather than nectar reward and therefore termed as deceptive pollination), flower closing and other mechanisms. In many species of orchids, the flowers produce chemicals that deceive male insects by producing attractants that mimic their females. The males are then led into structures that ensure the transfer of pollen to the surfaces of the insects. Orchids in the genus ''Pterostylis'' have been found to attract male fungus gnats with chemical attractants and then trap them using a mobile petal lip. The general observation of insects being trapped and aiding pollination were made as early as 1872 by Thomas Frederi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Milichiidae
Milichiidae are a family of flies. Most species are very small and dark. Details of their biology have not yet been properly studied, but they are best known as kleptoparasites of predatory invertebrates, and accordingly are commonly known as freeloader flies or jackal flies. However, because of the conditions under which many species breed out, they also are known as filth flies. Affinities and appearance The Milichiidae are a family of flies in the suborder Brachycera. They were at one time included in the family Carnidae. At one time or another they have been assigned to various superfamilies, including Carnoidea, Chloropoidea, and Agromyzoidea. As usual for flies of these groups, Milichiidae imagines are tiny, but their heads are comparatively large, compared to many fly species of the same size, such as those in the family Phoridae. Milichiidae are small-to-very-small flies, usually 1 to 3 mm in length. Typically they are black or at least dark. In some species, suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Phoridae
The Phoridae are a family of small, hump-backed flies resembling fruit flies. Phorid flies can often be identified by their escape habit of running rapidly across a surface rather than taking to the wing. This behaviour is a source of one of their alternate names, scuttle fly. Another vernacular name, coffin fly, refers to '' Conicera tibialis''. About 4,000 species are known in 230 genera. The most well-known species is cosmopolitan ''Megaselia scalaris''. At 0.4 mm in length, the world's smallest fly is the phorid ''Euryplatea nanaknihali''. Description For terms see Morphology of Diptera Phorid flies are minute or small – 0.5–6 mm (– in) in length. When viewed from the side, a pronounced hump to the thorax is seen. Their colours range from usually black or brown to more rarely yellow, orange, pale grey, and pale white. The head is usually rounded and in some species narrowed towards the vertex. The vertex is flat. In some species, the ocellar callus i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Scatopsidae
__NOTOC__ The minute black scavenger flies or "dung midges", are a family, Scatopsidae, of nematoceran flies. Despite being distributed throughout the world, they form a small family with only around 250 described species in 27 genera, although many await description and doubtless even more await discovery. These are generally small, sometimes minute, dark flies (from 0.6 to 5 mm), generally similar to black flies (Simuliidae), but usually lacking the humped thorax characteristic of that family. The larvae of most species are unknown, but the few that have been studied have a rather flattened shape and are terrestrial and saprophagous. Scatopsids are a well established group and fossils are known from amber deposits dating back to the Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 145 to 66 million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era, as well as the longest. At around 79 million years, it is the longest geo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tachinidae
The Tachinidae are a large and variable family of true fly, flies within the insect order Fly, Diptera, with more than 8,200 known species and many more to be discovered. Over 1,300 species have been described in North America alone. Insects in this family commonly are called tachinid flies or simply tachinids. As far as is known, they all are protelean parasitoids, or occasionally parasites, of arthropods, usually other insects. The family is known from many habitats in all Zoogeography, zoogeographical regions and is especially diverse in South America. Life cycle Reproductive strategies vary greatly between Tachinid species, largely, but not always clearly, according to their respective life cycles. This means that they tend to be generalists rather than specialists. Comparatively few are restricted to a single host species, so there is little tendency towards the close co-evolution one finds in the adaptations of many specialist species to their hosts, such as are typica ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sciaridae
The Sciaridae are a family of flies, commonly known as dark-winged fungus gnats. Commonly found in moist environments, they are known to be a pest of mushroom farms and are commonly found in household plant pots. This is one of the least studied of the large Diptera families, probably due to the small size of these insects and the similarity among species. Currently, around 1700 species are described, but an estimated 20,000 species are awaiting discovery, mainly in the tropics. More than 600 species are known from Europe. Description Adult Sciaridae are small, dark flies 1-11 mm long and usually <5 mm long. They have a characteristic wing venation: there is no cross vein except for a short rs at the wing base, the anterior veins are a short R1 and a long R5, vein M has a simple fork with a long stem, and CuA1 has a fork with a short stem. Larval Sciaridae are slender and lack legs. They are white except for a black head, and their skin is slightly transpa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ephydridae
Ephydridae (shore fly, sometimes brine fly) is a family of insects in the order Diptera. Shore flies are tiny flies that can be found near seashores or at smaller inland waters, such as ponds. About 2,000 species have been described worldwide, including Ochthera. The petroleum fly, ''Helaeomyia petrolei'', is the only known insect whose larvae live in naturally occurring crude petroleum. Another notable species is ''Ephydra hians'' which lives in vast number at Mono Lake. Description For terms, see Morphology of Diptera. The flies are minute to small (0.9 to 7.0 mm), with black or gray colorations. Wings are sometimes patterned. Costa with two interruptions are present in first section, near the humeral cross-vein and again near the end of vein 1. The second basal cell is not separated from the discal cell. Arista are bare or with hairs on the upper side (plumose on the upper side). The mouth opening is very large in some species. The ratio of vertical diameter of ey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Calliphoridae
The Calliphoridae (commonly known as blow flies, blow-flies, carrion flies, bluebottles, greenbottles, or cluster flies) are a family of insects in the order Diptera, with almost 1,900 known species. The maggot larvae, often used as fishing bait, are known as gentles. The family is known to be polyphyletic, but much remains disputed regarding proper treatment of the constituent taxa, some of which are occasionally accorded family status (e.g., Bengaliidae and Helicoboscidae). The name blowfly comes from an older English term for meat that had eggs laid on it, which was said to be flyblown. The first known association of the term "blow" with flies appears in the plays of William Shakespeare: ''Love's Labour's Lost'', '' The Tempest'', and ''Antony and Cleopatra''. Description Characteristics Calliphoridae adults are commonly shiny with metallic colouring, often with blue, green, or black thoraces and abdomens. Antennae are three-segmented and aristate. The aristae are plu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drosophilidae
The Drosophilidae are a diverse, cosmopolitan family of flies, which includes species called fruit flies, although they are more accurately referred to as vinegar or pomace flies. Another distantly related family of flies, Tephritidae, are true fruit flies because they are frugivorous, and include apple maggot flies and many pests. The best known species of the Drosophilidae is ''Drosophila melanogaster'', within the genus ''Drosophila'', also called the "fruit fly." ''Drosophila melanogaster'' is used extensively for studies concerning genetics, development, physiology, ecology and behaviour. Many fundamental biological mechanisms were discovered first in ''D. melanogaster.'' The fruit fly is mostly composed of post-mitotic cells, has a very short lifespan, and shows gradual aging. As in other species, temperature influences the life history of the animal. Several genes have been identified that can be manipulated to extend the lifespan of these insects. Additionally, ''Drosophi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chloropidae
The Chloropidae are a family of flies commonly known as frit flies or grass flies. About 2000 described species are in over 160 genera distributed worldwide. These are usually very small flies, yellow or black and appearing shiny due to the virtual absence of any hairs. The majority of the larvae are phytophagous, mainly on grasses, and can be major pests of cereals. However, parasitic and predatory species are known. A few species are kleptoparasites. Some species in the genera '' Hippelates'' and '' Siphunculina'' (''S. funicola'' being quite well known in Asia) are called eye gnats or eye flies for their habit of being attracted to eyes. They feed on lachrymal secretions and other body fluids of various animals, including humans, and are of medical significance.Uruyakorn Chansang, Mir S. Mulla (2008) Field Evaluation of Repellents and Insecticidal Aerosol Compositions for Repelling and Control of ''Siphunculina funicola'' (Diptera: Chloropidae) on Aggregation Sites in Thailand ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ceropegia
''Ceropegia'' is a genus of plants within the family Apocynaceae, native to Africa, southern Asia, and Australia. It was named by Carl Linnaeus, who first described this genus in his ''Genera plantarum'', which appeared in 1737. Linnaeus referred to the description and picture of a plant in the ''Horti Malabarici'' as the plant for which the genus was created. In 1753 he named this species as ''Ceropegia candelabrum''. Linnaeus did not explain the etymology but later explanations stated that the name ''Ceropegia'' was from the Greek word ''keropegion'' κηροπηγɩον. This means ''candelabrum'' in Latin, which has a broader range than the modern word - "a candlestick, a branched candlestick, a chandelier, candelabrum, or also lamp-stand, light-stand, sometimes of exquisite workmanship". An alternative explanation for the name was given later by William Jackson Hooker in 1830 in ''Curtis's Botanical Magazine'' in the description of ''Ceropegia elegans'': "From '' κηρός' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pollination
Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, and bats; water; wind; and even plants themselves, when self-pollination occurs within a closed flower. Pollination often occurs within a species. When pollination occurs between species, it can produce hybrid offspring in nature and in plant breeding work. In angiosperms, after the pollen grain (gametophyte) has landed on the stigma, it germinates and develops a pollen tube which grows down the style until it reaches an ovary. Its two gametes travel down the tube to where the gametophyte(s) containing the female gametes are held within the carpel. After entering an ovum cell through the micropyle, one male nucleus fuses with the polar bodies to produce the endosperm tissues, while the other fuses with the ovule to produce the embryo. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
