Pollen feeding by adults of the hoverflyMelanostoma fasciatum(Diptera: Syrphidae)

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Pollen feeding by adult hoverflies of Melanostoma fasciatum, collected from organic paddocks at Flock House, Bulls, North Island, New Zealand, were studied by dissection. Up to six different pollen types were found in one hoverfly. On average, they fed only on 2.71 pollen species. 71% of gravid females but only 13% of males reached the maximum score (scale 0–5) for pollen content in the gut. Very few hoverflies had no pollen. Of the 15 identified pollen groups, plantain, phacelia, coriander, and graminaceous pollen were consumed in large quantities by gravid females. Differences in feeding spectra between sexes probably reflected the need for energy in males and for the protein required for egg maturation in females. Earlier views of strict preference for anemophilous pollen by M. fasciatum cannot be upheld.

This publication has 13 references indexed in Scilit: