fly pollinators - notes
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1/6/2013
1
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
© Project SOUND
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND – 2012 (our 8th year)
© Project SOUND
Flower Flies & Friends: Fly Pollinators & Other
Beneficial Dipterans in the
Garden and the Wild
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSU Dominguez Hills & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Arthur Johnson Center – Friends of Gardena Willows Wetland
Preserve
July 12, 2012
I’m worried about our food
Global climate change
Decreasing effectiveness of artificial pest control
Loss of crop biodiversity
Genetic modification of crop plants
Loss of native habitat
© Project SOUND
Colony Collapse Disorder – our wake-up call
© Project SOUND
http://bee-rapture.blogspot.com/2009/04/found-cause-of-colony-
collapse-disorder.html
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Can we still find answers in the wild?
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND Who in the heck are all those little guys?
Class Insecta – the insects
© Project SOUND
http://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/entomology/intro.html
Dipterans are numerous
Flies actually represent a large part of metazoan diversity. There are about 1 million named insect species.
With ~152,000 named species and many more unnamed species, flies account for no less than 1 in 10 species on Earth
And most of those species are living lives that benefit the environment
© Project SOUND
http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/2008/12/5/the-species-scape.html
http://insects.tamu.edu/students/undergrad/ento402/Arthropoda_files/Arthropoda_number_organisms.html
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How many insect species? Difficult to
know for sure
Some of the numbers of named insects species are:
Beetles, 360,000
Butterflies and Moths: 170,000
Flies: 120,000-150,000+
Bees, wasps and ants: 110,000
True bugs: 82,000
Grasshoppers: 20,000
Dragonflies: 5,000
© Project SOUND
http://insects.tamu.edu/students/undergrad/ento402/Arthropoda_files/Arthropoda_number_organ
isms.html
Evolution of the
Flies
1. There are many families/sub-orders of Dipterans
2. There’s lots of diversity among them
3. Families vary in size/ number of species
4. Some of the sub-orders & families are quite ancient, while others are more recent
© Project SOUND http://www.pnas.org/content/108/14/5690/F3.large.jpg
How old are the
Dipterans?
© Project SOUND
http://destinationofmarvel.blogspot.com/2010/10/geological-timeline.html
http://www.internal.schools.net.au/edu/lesson_ideas/dinosaurs/dino_wksht3.html
3,125 species are known only from fossils
The oldest, a limoniid crane fly, is some 225 MILLION years old (Upper Triassic (Carnian).
Some ancient Dipterans
look very similar to
today’s species
© Project SOUND
50 million year old Crane Fly
http://www.fossilmall.com/EDCOPE_Enterprises/Insects/I2/I2.htm
http://www.amberabg.com/a_for_sale/inclusions_zd22.html
Dipterans are successful insects that have succeeded – and diversified – over time
They must be well-adapted to their environment(s) – and tough (survived massive climate changes in past)
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The true flies (Diptera) One of the most species
rich, anatomically varied and ecologically innovative groups of organisms
An estimated 150,000+ species of Diptera have been described, however, the total number of extant fly species is many times greater.
The living dipteran species have been classified into about : 10,000 genera, 150
families
22-32 superfamilies
8-10 infraorders
2 suborders
© Project SOUND
Distinguishing Diptera
(true flies) from bees
Diptera have only one pair of wings; a second pair of wings evolved into small dumb-bell shaped "halteres", which are used for balance during flight. (The two-winged fly is an advancement in flight; that why flies can hover)
No stinger
Sucking mouthparts
Very large, compound eyes
Antennae: either long or short.
© Project SOUND
http://biokeys.berkeley.edu/inverts/diptera.html
Typical Fly
http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-identify-the-basic-body-parts-of-honey-bees.html
Bee mimics are common
among Dipterans
Some flies, such as syrphids, masquerade as bees and wasps. However, the pollinating flies can be distinguished with a sharp eye – or better yet, a camera.
The flies have only one pair of wings while bees and wasps have two pairs of wings.
Comical, robust and extremely hairy are the bee flies (bombylids), some with tongues as long as their bodies!
© Project SOUND
The syrphid fly is a bee mimic. Photo by Beatriz Moisset 2002-2004.
The tachnid fly is similar in general
appearance to bees or wasps.
Full 4-stage life cycle (like a butterfly)
Egg - laid in a variety of environments, based on species
Larva – usually several stages – wide variation in food sources (parasitic; plant; dung; decaying matter
Pupa – brief or may include a hibernation
Adult
© Project SOUND
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Flies have been disliked in many cultures
© Project SOUND
http://avaxhome.ws/video/fly_tales.html
http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2011/08/unseen-fly-justice-of-chen-fang.html
But their attributes have been
elevated to hero status in
others
Flies have gotten a bad reputation
Just a few species of flies command the most public attention
Among them are important pests: House flies – pesky; bite; carriers
Horse flies “
Mosquitoes “
Blow-flies flies
© Project SOUND Horse-fly: family Tabanidae
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse-fly
Housefly: Musca domestica
Blue-bottle Fly: a common Blow-fly
Why don’t we hear more about the good
Dipterans?
They are harder to study & watch/photograph/raise
They are less specialized – people tend to like to study specialized creatures
They are not as cute as other pollinators – ‘fuzzy bees’ – lacking in the charisma department
They have gotten a bad rap – the ‘yuck factor’
They need a new PR person
© Project SOUND
http://www.zazzle.com/house_fly_t_shirt-235110274153973276
Why we should worry about Dipterans:
importance of flies to ecosystems
Pollinators
Pest control agents – aphids, beetle grubs, moth caterpillars
Food for others (bats; reptiles; fish; birds; other insects)
Decomposers & soil conditioners
Water quality indicators
And much more (including some functions we probably don’t even know yet)
© Project SOUND http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816203001280
1/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Why worry about pollinators?
Pollinators are “keystone organisms” in most terrestrial ecosystems.
Pollinators are essential for maintaining the integrity, productivity and sustainability of many types of ecosystems: natural areas, pastures, fields, meadows, roadsides, many agricultural crops, fruit orchards, and backyard vegetable and flower gardens.
Without insect pollinators, many flowering plants would eventually become extinct.
Without the work of pollinators, many fruit- and seed-eating birds and some mammals, including people, would have a less varied and less healthy diet.
Why worry about Dipterans? Can’t the
bees do the pollination work?
Flies and bees are the two most important insect pollinator groups.
Over 71 families of Diptera are known to visit and pollinate flowers, linking the fate of plants and animals.
Depending on the region, the time of the day, the flowering phenology and weather conditions, flies may be the main or exclusive pollinators, or share pollination services with bees and other pollinator groups.
© Project SOUND
It turns out the pollination is
a lot more complex than
early agricultural studies
lead us to believe
Even before colony collapse disorder,
some people were concerned…
Depending on a single source – for anything – should make us all nervous
Better to ‘diversify the portfolio’ – Dipterans are a part
© Project SOUND
http://therealnewsjournal.com/?tag=colony-collapse-disorder
http://urbangardencasual.com/2009/04/28/possible-cure-
for-honey-bee-colony-collapse-disorder-discovered/
European Honey Bee
Apis mellifera
Diptera – our oldest and most wide-
spread pollinators
Diptera, the true flies, are an important, but neglected group of pollinators.
They are an ancient group, and were probably among the first pollinators of early flowering plants.
Flies live almost everywhere in terrestrial ecosystems – arctics to tropics
Are abundant in most terrestrial habitats
© Project SOUND
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Fly pollinators: specialists & generalists
Dipterans are an extremely diverse group, varying in mouth parts, tongue length, size and degree of pilosity.
The diversity of flower-visiting flies is reflected in their effectiveness as pollinators. Some flies, such as long-tongued tabanids of South Africa, have specialized relationships with individual flower genera/species (much like some bees/butterflies)
Other flies are generalists, feeding from a wide variety of flowers. But they like to visit many of the same type while they’re in the neighborhood
© Project SOUND
http://www.geraniumsonline.com/pollination.htm
http://scienceblogs.com/myrmecos/2008/12/31/slurp/
In some situations, flies are the main
pollinators, so they clearly have potential
In some habitats, such as the forest under-story where shrubs may produce small, inconspicuous, dioecious flowers, flies seem to be particularly important pollinators.
In arctic and alpine environments, under conditions of reduced bee activity, flies are often the main pollinators of open, bowl-shaped flowers, with readily accessible pollen and nectar.
© Project SOUND
How does Mother Nature play it safe with
regards to pollination?
Most insect pollinated flowers receive visits from several different types of insects: bees, flies, beetles, bugs, etc.
In a study of 2200 CA plant species:
71% of the out-crossing species were visited by two potential pollinators
49% were visited by three or more potential pollinators
Redundancy in pollination systems is probably the rule, rather than the exception.
© Project SOUND
By hedging her odds
How do the Dipterans compare to other
pollinators? The experts say…
Many flies are generalists; their contributions to plant reproductive success are sometimes discounted because of their reputation as ineffective pollinators.
However, the complexity of interactions in redundant pollination systems is little studied & deserves further attention.
When multiple pollinator species visit the same flowers, their respective value as pollinators is interdependent and may differ from year-to-year or even over the course of the flowering season.
Inefficient pollinators are needed when the more efficient pollinators are absent
© Project SOUND
1/6/2013
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Bee vs Fly pollination: the tortoise & the hare
Conditions affecting bee populations can be quite different from those affecting fly populations due to the great difference in larval requirements.
Many types of flies have few hairs when compared to bees, and pollen is less likely to adhere to the body surface. But under conditions when bees are scarce, an inefficient pollinator is better than none.
Higher flight activities of flies may well compensate lower pollen carrying capacity. Even in cases where honeybees are abundant on flowers and specialised bees are foraging, flower flies (Syrphidae) can be the most effective pollinators producing the highest seed set. © Project SOUND
Oregon study: Mountain Meadows -
Presence of host plant pollen Bumble bee Syrphid flies
Present Absent
So what kinds of plants are known to be
Dipteran pollinated?
At least seventy-one of the 150 Diptera families include flies that feed at flowers as adults.
More than 550 species of flowering plants are regularly visited by Diptera that are potential pollinators. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg: few fly pollinator surveys exist!
Diptera have been documented to be primary pollinators for many plant species, both wild and cultivated.
© Project SOUND
Drone fly pollinating aster
Cultivated plants pollinated by flies
More than 100 cultivated crops are regularly visited by flies and depend largely on fly pollination for abundant fruit set and seed production . Examples:
The cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao)
Tropical fruits such as Mango (Mangifera indica), Capsicum annuum and Piper nigrum, pawpaw (Asimina triloba)
Fruit-bearing Rosaceae: Apple (Malus domestica) and Pear (Pyrus communis) trees, strawberries (Fragaria vesca, F. x ananassa), Prunus species (cherries, plums, apricot and peach), Sorbus species (e.g. Rowanberry) and most of the Rubus-species (Raspberry, Blackberry, Cloudberry etc.) as well as the wild rose
Spices and vegetable plants of the family Apiaceae like fennel (Foeniculum vulgare), coriander (Coriandrum sativum), caraway (Carum carvi), kitchen onions (Allium cepa), parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and carrots (Daucus carota)
In addition a large number of wild relatives of food plants, numerous medicinal plants and cultivated garden plants benefit from fly pollination.
© Project SOUND
1/6/2013
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What native plants attract fly pollinators?
The ‘insect-magnet’ plants
Sunflower family (Asteraceae) Yarrow (Achillea millefolia)
Goldenrods (Solidago & Euthamia spp.)
Fall-blooming shrubs (Baccharis; Ericameria; Goldenbushes, Tarplants
Rose family Pink and white-flowered species
The Buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.)
© Project SOUND
Why are these plants ‘insect magnets’?
© Project SOUND
Western Yarrow – Achilla millefolia The Yarrows – horticultural plants extraordinaire
Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower family)
Cultivated in Europe ??thousands of years
About half a dozen species are commonly grown as garden plants
Natural variation in color has been exploited – many named cultivars – yellow, pink, red, purple
The species name, millefolium-of a thousand leaves-describes the fine, feathery foliage which resembles a fern. http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/Cornell_Herbaceous
/plant_pages/Achilleamillefolium.html
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Western Yarrow – Achilla millefolia
Found in most of CA
60-100 species of Achillia worldwide – northern hemisphere
In CA, found in seasonally wet places:
Meadows and pastures Along stream edges In sand dunes Along alkali sinks On coastal strand In coastal grasslands In Coastal Sage Scrub and
Chaparral
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,615,616
http://linnaeus.nrm.se/flora/di/astera/achil/achimilv.jpg
Western Yarrow can be used in many ways!
Slopes, hillsides
Mixtures
Good garden plant for fresh or dry floral arrangements
Foliage is pleasantly fragrant when crushed – used for tea, medicinals
Can be mowed to form a highly competitive ground cover to control soil erosion.
Flowers!!!
Good butterfly/insect plant
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Success with Yarrow
is almost guaranteed
Yarrow can endure dry, impoverished soil
Survives with little maintenance – neglect
Best in full sun; grows but less flowering in shade
A true perennial taking two years to become established
Included in most commercial mixed ‘native lawn’ mixes
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Why Yarrow makes a good lawn substitute
Spreads quickly, giving good cover
Super for banks and other areas that can’t easily be mowed
Spreading habit inhibits weeds
Can be mowed – occasionally and on high setting w/ rotary mower
Companion plant – attracts beneficial insects, repels others
Does well on poor, dry, sandy soils where other plants grow poorly
http://www.dgsgardening.btinternet.co.uk/yarrow.JPG
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What is it about Yarrow that attracts?
White/pink color
Many tiny flowers per cluster; many clusters per plant
Flower structure relative open; easy to access
Floral clusters relatively flat – also allows easy access
+/- Sweet scent
Produce lots of high quality nectar & pollen © Project SOUND
So we’ve discovered one type of ‘fly plant’
Myophily
Adult flies feed on nectar & pollen; less often on fruit
Common examples: bee flies (Bombyliidae), hoverflies (Syrphidae)
Regularly visit flowers to feed, while also pollinating.
Sapromyophily
Adults normally visit dead animals or dung to lay eggs.
Attracted to flowers that mimic these odoriferous items. These plants have a strong, unpleasant odor, and are brown or orange in color.
The plant may have traps to slow them down and become inadvertent pollinators
© Project SOUND
Skunk cabbage's strong smell
and dark color attract carrion
flies that lay their eggs thinking
that it is rotting flesh.
Myophily fly flowers Pale color (whites, pinks,
purples and blues most common)
Dull surface; may be nectar guides
Produce abundant pollen
Produce high quality nectar
Flower are open; nectar easily available
Male and female parts of the flower are well exposed.
Many of these flowers are scented, but for the most part, the scent is imperceptible.
© Project SOUND
Buckwheats (Eriogonum) are good
candidates as fly flowers
What native plants attract fly pollinators?
The ‘insect-magnet’ plants
Sunflower family (Asteraceae) Yarrow (Achillea millefolia)
Native Thistles (Cirsium) Goldenrods (Solidago & Euthamia spp.)
Fall-blooming shrubs (Baccharis; Ericameria; Goldenbushes
Rose family Pink and white-flowered species
The Buckwheats (Eriogonum spp.)
Native Milkweeds (Asclepias spp.)
The Mustard family (Brassicaceae)
Euphorbia & Sedum species
The Carrot family (Apiaceae)
© Project SOUND
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© Project SOUND
Water Parsley – Oenanthe sarmentosa
© 2002 Brad Kelley
Coastal California to British Columbia Canada; also western Sierra foothills
Local historically: Ballona, West LA, San Pedro, Long Beach (Bixby Ranch)
Grows in marshes, ditches, pond edges, slow-moving streams, seasonally wet places, from near coastline up to ~ 5000 ft.
© Project SOUND
Water Parsley – Oenanthe sarmentosa
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,478,480
© 2006, G. D. Carr
Large plants in the Carrot Family
© Project SOUND
Common Cowparsnip – Heracleum maximum
4-8 ft. tall; very large coarse leaves
Water Parsley –
Oenanthe
sarmentosa
* Henderson’s Angelica – Angelica hendersonii
Queen Anne’s Lace: natural roadsides
and grandmother’s garden
Actually a garden escape – like ‘Wild Mustard’ or ‘Wild Radish’ – a weed that has naturalized extensively.
A true carrot - Daucus carota; domesticated carrots are cultivars of Daucus carota ssp. sativus.
Native to temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia
The plant was introduced into this country during colonial times. It probably came across the ocean in sacks of grain, perhaps with the Pilgrims.
Should NOT be planted – use our natives from the Carrot family instead.
© Project SOUND
1/6/2013
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© Project SOUND
Looks rather like Leaf Celery Size: 2-4 ft tall
2-3 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial; dies
back in fall/winter
Weak, succulent stems
Many-branched
Foliage: Compound leaves - oddly
pinnate (simple or double) – margins coarsely toothed
Overall shape triangular
Anise Swallowtail larval food
Handle with gloves – may cause skin allergies
Roots: fibrous roots and slender white rhizomes - spreads
© 2003 Lee Dittmann
© 2011 Zoya Akulova © Project SOUND
Flowers are numerous
Blooms Late spring to summer: usually
May to July in Western L.A. County
Flowers: Tiny white flowers typical of the
Carrot family (Apiaceae); old-fashioned look
Flowers more loosely packed – can usually see the compound umbels easily
Flowers attract a wide range of nectaring insects: butterflies, native bees, flies & others
Seeds: Flat, ribbed seeds
Use fresh seeds; multiple rinses
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
Easy to grow with
adequate water Soils:
Texture: most
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to light/dappled
shade for good flowering
Water: Winter: tolerates very moist
conditions, even shallow standing water
Summer: like moist soil – Water Zones 2-3 or 3
Fertilizer: Fine with light fertilizer
Leaf mulch will add some nutrients
Other: organic mulch
© Project SOUND
Water Parsley in the Garden
Excellent choice for large containers – can provide the moisture it needs + contain
Around ponds, water gardens; in pots in shallow water
Moist woodland habitat gardens
Seeds/roots used as an emetic, pounded roots used as a laxative
© 2012 Aaron Arthur © 2004, Ben Legler
http://flickriver.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/7
2157621911287568/
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What pollinator flies will we attract with
Water Parsley?
The most important fly pollinators are Hover Flies (Syrphid flies) and Bee Flies (Bombyliidae family)
There are many others that visit flowers to feed on nectar.
The common fly pollinators have developed yellow and black stripes on their abdomens, though they are not related to bees or wasps. This is probably a defense mechanism to deter predators; flies pretending to be stinging insects, though they cannot sting.
© Project SOUND
Family
Syrphidae
Large family: ~ 6000 named species
Often called syrphids, hover flies, flower flies or sweat bees. Small/medium size
Occur in wide range of habitats worldwide: dunes, salt/freshwater marsh, all grassland ecosystems, scrub and forest-ecosystems
Lots of variability – example: short- and very long-tongued species
Visit wide range of flowers and can transport pollen long distances
Important pollinators: regional studies in Europe (Ssymank 2001) showed that up to 80% of the regional flora may be visited by flower flies. Important in local habitats.
Very convincing mimicry of bees and wasps: black with yellow or orange; narrow waist
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/diptera/Syrphidae.htm
Family
Syrphidae Adults feed on pollen and nectar,
larvae eat plant materials or are predators on other insects, most notably aphids (~ 40% of species are predators).
Female hover fly usually lays her eggs near aphid colonies. The fly larvae feed on insect pests, mainly aphids, as well as scales and caterpillars.
Aphids cause annual damage to crops and plants, making the hover flies important agents in natural biological control.
Routinely used as a biological control agents in many agricultural crops like California lettuce.
© Project SOUND
Why do flies visit flowers?
The most important is for food : nectar and sometimes pollen. Pollen is rich in proteins, which is required by some adult flies before they can reproduce.
To lay eggs: the larvae feed on flower heads, developing fruits/seeds or insect pests
Because they’ve been tricked (scent/appearance that mimics the carcasses where they normally lay their eggs)
To keep warm: in arctic and alpine habitats, some flowers attract flies by providing a warm shelter.
As rendezvous sites for mating. Large numbers of flies will congregate at a particular type of flower
© Project SOUND
the byproduct of all these behaviors can be pollination
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© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa
© 2004 George W. Hartwell
© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed – Asclepias speciosa
Western N. America from Canada to Baja; throughout CA
Open areas at low elevations in dry to moist, loamy to sandy soil
Often in areas that are seasonally flooded or quite damp
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?583,586,599
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/plants/floramw/species/asclspec.htm
© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed: a stout perennial
Size:
2-5+ ft tall
Spreading by rhizomes; often forms a clump
Growth form: Drought/winter deciduous
perennial
Stems stout, succulent, erect or nearly so
Foliage: Leaves large 96-8 inches long),
gray-green, velvety
Milky sap typical of Milkweeds
Larval food, Monarch Butterflies
Roots: stout taproot; don’t move once established.
© 2005, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
Flowers are…showy!
Blooms: In summer: May-Sept
usually July-Aug in our area
Flowers: Large compared to other
milkweeds ; sweet scent
Pale pink or purple – in dense, ball-like clusters
Very showy in bloom – among our prettiest perennials
Seeds: Relatively large, with silky
parachute (typical of milkweeds)
Seed pods are 3-5" long and are either spiny or smooth.
© 2005, Ben Legler
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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: any, including clays
pH: any local, including alkali
Light: Full sun to light shade
Water: Winter: good winter/spring
moisture; supplement if needed
Summer: variable once established; probably best as Zone 2 or 2-3 once established
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils; light or no mulch (or inorganic)
Other: Spreads via rhizomes & seeds
(on bare ground).
Protect from slugs & snails
http://www.anniesannuals.com/plants/plant_display.asp?prodid=125&account=none
Cut back to the ground in late fall
(native Californians would burn)
© Project SOUND
Showy Milkweed Shines
In large pots, planters
Mid- or back-bed in perennial gardens
Near birdbaths or water features
Lovely massed
Scented gardens
http://back40feet.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
http://plantlust.com/plants/asclepias-speciosa/
Native Milkweeds make
great insect habitat
Bees – many kinds including bumblebees
Lepidoptera (Moths & Butterflies)
Other insects:
Flies
Milkweed bugs
Milkweed long-horned beetle
Yellow milkweed aphids
Many, many more
© Project SOUND
http://www.plantsofthesouthwest.com/Showy-
Milkweedbri-Asclepias-
speciosa/productinfo/P1180/
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-
california/plants/asclepias-speciosa
Family Bombyliidae
- Bee Flies
Large families - > 5,000 species worldwide.
Medium size – about the size of bees, who they closely resemble
Adults feed on nectar and pollen; believed to be important pollinators of many plants although few species have been studied in detail.
Occur on all continents except Antarctica; common in S. CA
See them hovering around flowers, or if resting, usually on bare soil. They are extremely wary and difficult to approach.
Majority of larvae are parasites of beetle larvae as well as the brood of solitary burrow-nesting wasps/bees.
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/diptera/Bombyliidae.htm
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Climate change and pollinator abundance:
remember the larvae when considering flies
When we are concerned with the abundance of flower-feeding flies, we generally think of adults that feed at flowers.
However, larval food supplies could be more important in producing differences in fluctuations among species
Different life styles, different larval habitats, and differences in the regional distribution (broad or restricted ranges) could also result in different patterns of population stability.
If larval food is a key resource for most fly species, fly species may show significantly different patterns of fluctuation than bees whose larvae are all dependent on pollen for food, reinforcing the idea that different pollinator groups may respond differently to environmental change.
© Project SOUND
Climate change and pollinator abundance:
timing is (almost) everything
Ecologists are concerned that climate change may decouple the synchrony of inter-dependent organisms. For the majority of flies, we do not have even baseline phenology information.
There is evidence of parallel pollinator and insect-pollinated plant decline for flower flies and bees in UK and NL (Biesmeijer et al. 2006). The factors threatening the species are mostly unknown.
What consequences can we expect from the loss of pollinators? To what extent can any one pollinator be replaced by another? The answers to these questions are unknown and urgently need investigation.
There is an urgent need for networking among researchers, and for more fundamental and applied research toward improving our knowledge of pollination services. This knowledge is crucial for agriculture and wildland preservation efforts.
© Project SOUND
Last month we introduced the topic of
genetically modified plants
© Project SOUND
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all
-about-gm-foods
The majority of commercially released transgenic plants are currently
limited to plants that have introduced resistance to insect pests and
herbicides.
Potential Risks/Controversies: Human
Health Effects
Introducing allergens and toxins into food
Transfer of antibiotic resistance marker genes; cause the development of diseases which are immune to antibiotics
Unknown effects of a new – and biologically basic – technology; not much is known about their long-term effects on human beings
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Potential Risks: Environmental Effects
Unintended phytotoxicity: plants less resistant to other pathogens/environmental challenges
Adversely changing the nutrient content of a crop; consequences for herbivores
Antibiotic resistance is spread: to other (wild) plants, animals, microorganisms
Emergence of "super" weeds: herbicide/pest resistant; high yield
Development of (or, more rapid development of) insecticide resistance in pests
Potential Risks: may worsen current
environmental challenges
Unintended transfer of transgenes through cross-pollination
Unknown effects on other organisms (e.g., soil microbes; butterflies); toxicity
Loss of floral and faunal biodiversity: farmers plant only the GM plants; beneficial insects killed
Effects of global climate changes – changed geographic distribution of pests; ?? Impact of transgenic plants; pollinator diversity, etc.
How does Mother Nature play it safe with
regards to pollination?
Most insect pollinated flowers receive visits from several different types of insects: bees, flies, beetles, bugs, etc.
In a study of 2200 CA plant species: 71% of the out-crossing species were visited
by two potential pollinators
49% were visited by three or more potential pollinators
Redundancy in pollination systems is probably the rule, rather than the exception.
We can’t afford to loose our redundancy!
© Project SOUND
By hedging her odds
Family
Tachinidae
Second-largest family - > 10,000 species worldwide.
Adult tachinid flies known for their bristly facies and sometimes abdomens – though some only sparsely so.
Parasitoid habit - almost all are endoparasites of other insects; commonly the larvae of the Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) and the adult/larval forms of beetles.
Other tachinids attack true bugs of the Hemiptera (Heteroptera), larvae of Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, ants, sawflies), and adults of Orthoptera (grasshoppers, katydids, crickets).
Some might have use in pest control
© Project SOUND
http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/diptera/index.htm#Brachycera
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© Project SOUND
* Henderson’s Angelica – Angelica hendersonii
© 2009, G. D. Carr
Coastal areas from WA state to Santa Barbara Co
Coastal bluffs and dunes, < 500 ft elevation
© Project SOUND
* Henderson’s Angelica – Angelica hendersonii
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,337,343
© Project SOUND
Henderson’s Angelica: stout perennial
Size: 2-4 ft tall
2-4 ft wide
Growth form: Fall/winter deciduous
herbaceous perennial
Stout, succulent stems
Mounded form with basal leaves
Foliage: Large, compound leaves
Hairy beneath
Wear gloves when handling – may cause allergies
Roots: sturdy taproot – very aromatic
© 2009, G. D. Carr
CA native Angelicas
All have similar appearance: succulent, large
All grow in slightly more moist climates than ours – mostly N. CA
Vary in the amount of leaf hairs – Hendersonii is ‘velvety’ on underside
© Project SOUND
Angelica lucida
Angelica hendersonii Angelica tomentosa
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© Project SOUND
Flowers: loved by insects
Blooms: in spring – usually May-June in our area
Flowers: Very showy compound
umbels
Lots of cream-pink flowers – thousands per umbel in best circumstances
Looks like a garden plant
Seeds: Dry, flat winged seeds
typical of Carrot family
© 2010 Margo Bors
© 2010 Robert Steers © Project SOUND
Angelicas do well in
gardens Soils:
Texture: most, including heavy clays
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to light shade; part-
shade in very hot inland gardens
Water: Winter/spring: needs good soil
moisture to grow
Summer: best with near-regular water – every other week – Water Zone 2-3
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: organic mulch OK; leaf mulch best
© 2010 Margo Bors
© Project SOUND
Angelicas in gardens
In edible/medicinal garden
For immediate coastal areas
In the perennial bed – with Goldenrods - give it room
In a habitat garden
In watered rock gardens – N. Coastal
© 2008 Neal Kramer
© 2010 Zoya Akulova
Many practical uses of Angelicas
Edible: Young stems eaten raw (before it
leafs out) or cooked as is root – celery-like taste
Root, leafstalks and stems are often candied
Medicinal: produces several antibacterial compounds Tea from leaves
General tonic – don’t take too often
For sore throats
Tea or dry powdered roots For sore throat
On skin infections & for athlete’s foot
As insect repellant
© Project SOUND
© 2009, G. D. Carr
Also used as a ceremonial plant
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Family Asilidae -
Robber Flies
> 7,000 species world- wide; nearly 1,000 in North America.
Among the largest of the predatory flies; they can not only look like bumble bees, they can sound like them too!
Stout, spiny legs, bristles on the face (mystax), and 3 simple eyes (ocelli) in a characteristic depression between their two large compound eyes. The mystax helps protect the head/face in struggles with prey.
The short, strong proboscis is used to stab and inject victims with saliva containing neurotoxic and proteolytic enzymes which paralyze/digest the prey; the fly then sucks the liquefied meal much like we vacuum up an ice cream soda through a straw.
© Project SOUND
You’ll often see them perched,
waiting for prey
Fly Kachina (Hopi) The Fly or Sohonasomtaka Kachina can be a Chief, Guard, or Hunter depending on the ceremony. He may also appear as a warrior who punishes the clowns when they get out of hand during the ceremonies.
Insects and animals offer advice and teach life to the Hopi people. As a guard he would protect and keep ceremonies from outsider intrusions
The Robber Fly Kachina, Kuwaan Kokopelli, is named after a humpbacked fly that is always mating. Like Kokopell' Mana, this kachina represents fertility.
© Project SOUND
http://www.silvertribe.com/Hopi-Kwaan-
Kokopelli-Kachina-doll-artist-Neil-David-Sr.-
KS1094
© Project SOUND
Natural groundcovers are so much more complex than suburban lawns © Project SOUND
Purple Sanicle – Sanicula bipinnatifida
© 2006 Matt Below
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Coastal foothills and slopes from British Columbia to Baja
Locally: San Gabriel foothills; Puente-Chino Hills
Found in a wide range of plant communities: valley grassland, chaparral, yellow pine forest, below 4500'
Usually grows in grassy areas on sunny slopes
© Project SOUND
Purple Sanicle – Sanicula bipinnatifida
© 2011 Ryan Batten
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,519,523
© Project SOUND
Purple Sanicle is a low-grower
Size: foliage < 1 ft tall; flowering
stalks slightly taller
1-2 ft wide (at most)
Growth form: drought deciduous herbaceous
perennial
Flat leaves from a central taproot
Foliage: Compound leaves with long
petiole
Medium green; somewhat like celery leaves
Roots: taproot
© 2001 Gary A. Monroe
© 2012 Gary McDonald
© 2011 Thomas Reyes
Carrots: in wild vs garden
A little extra water make a huge difference
Garden soils also tend to be a little richer
Plants in Carrot family tend to look more lush in gardens than they do in the wild (except in places like WA and British Columbia)
© Project SOUND
© 2004, Ben Legler
© Project SOUND
Flowers are usually
burgundy
Blooms: in spring – usually Mar-Apr in our area
Flowers: Usually a very attractive
burgundy or dark purple; occasionally yellow
Many tiny flowers in compound umbels typical of Carrot family
Look like fuzzy ball of flowers – attract many types of insects
Seeds: dry, prickly fruits – spines curved
© 2004 Laura Ann Eliassen
© 2004 Carol W. Witham
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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils: Texture: most; sandy to clay
pH: any local
Light: Full sun near coast
Part-shade/dappled sun inland
Water: Winter: adequate
Summer: let plants dry out with grasses after seed set.
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: best not to move after established; may even want to start from seed in place.
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
Best used as it is in nature – as a mixed groundcover with grasses, annual wildflowers and perennials like Goldenrods, Yarrow
Excellent habitat plants © 2004 Carol W. Witham
© Project SOUND
© 2004, Ben Legler
© 2007, Rod Gilbert
http://www.goert.ca/news/2010/05/spring-field-trips/
Fern-leaved desert-parsley growing with camas
and western buttercup
‘Life-friendly’ groundcovers & lawn
substitutes: the
importance of home
gardens
© Project SOUND http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/purplesanicle.html
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Pollinator flies in urban environments:
little know but suggestive results
In an extensive 5-yr survey of syrphid flies in Poland
Found lower species diversity in urban and agricultural areas.
In comparison, natural habitats were species-rich and characterized by shifting proportions of species, as one moved from one habitat toward another. Syrphid fly species composition closely followed patterns of food supply and habitat condition.
The proportion of phytophagous and terrestrial saprophagous species dropped significantly, with only four species of phytophages present near the housing estates. These four were pests that eat ornamental plants, or weed-eating species. Urban areas were dominated by four syrphid species with broad geographic ranges
Loss of habitat plants = loss of beneficial flies
© Project SOUND
Pollinator flies in urban environments
In Japan, a broad-scale, four-year survey compared all insect visitors to roughly 100 plant species in each of three different habitats: a university campus - mostly exotic vegetation,
an undisturbed oak forest, and
a botanically rich mosaic containing both native deciduous and planted coniferous forest.
The site of greatest human disturbance was poorest in species numbers . The total number of arthropod species on the
plants of the university campus was 37% of the total of the oak forest and 23% of the total mosaic of natural and planted forest.
© Project SOUND
Bottom line: what you
plant in your garden does
make a difference
© Project SOUND
Common Lomatium – Lomatium utriculatum
© 2004 Robert E. Preston, Ph.D.
AKA: Bladder Parsnip; Hog Fennel
Baja to British Columbia – also very locally
The genus Lomatium: composed of about 80 species restricted to w. North America.
The genus name, from the Greek loma (a border), refers to the wings on the fruit.
© Project SOUND
Common Lomatium – Lomatium utriculatum
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?329,426,476
© 2009, Maria Yousoufian
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Two native California Lomatiums
© Project SOUND
* California Lomatium –
Lomatium californicum
2-5 ft tall; 4-5 ft wide
Common Lomatium – Lomatium utriculatum
© Project SOUND
Common Lomatium: another small one
Size: Foliage usually 1 ft tall; flower
stalks to 18”
1-2 ft wide
Growth form: Herbaceous perennial
Drought-deciduous; literally disappears in dry summer
Foliage: Bright green; mostly in basal
rosette
Leaves very finely dissected – like carrot; lacy and delicate-looking
Larval food: Anise Swallowtail
Roots: a taproot
© Project SOUND
Plant is sometimes
called ‘Spring Gold’
Blooms: in spring (Feb-May); usually Mar-Apr our area.
Flowers: Bright, golden yellow – hence the
common name
Pretty, delicate compound umbels – very attractive in a woodsy way
Attract many spring-flying insects - bees, flies, wasps,
beetles and more
Seeds: fruits flattened and ribbed –
typical of family
Will reseed on bare ground/ inorganic mulch
Growing the wild carrots
Use fresh seed – the best predictor of success
Soak fruit/seed in several changes of water to remove germination inhibitors – or plant out in fall
If seed from a colder climate – or seeds are older – give 1 month cold-moist treatment
Plant in deep enough pots or directly in ground
Don’t leave in pots too long - taproots
© Project SOUND http://wikis.evergreen.edu/pugetprairieplants/index.php/Lomatium_utriculatum
http://www.hazmac.biz/061
023/061023LomatiumUtricu
latum.html
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© Project SOUND
Spring Gold for clay soils Soils:
Texture: best in clay soils
pH: any local
Light: Part-shade (afternoon
shade) or dappled sun in most gardens
Water: Winter/spring: adequate
until flowering ceases
Summer: taper off to dry – Water Zone 1 to 2
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils. Would do well with leaf mulch
Other: keep weeded around plants
https://sbwildflowers.wordpress.com/wildflowers/apiaceae/lomatium/lomatium-utriculatum/
© Project SOUND
Add a little Spring
gold to your garden
As an attractive pot plant with native bulbs
In a rock garden or around the vegetable garden
As part of a prairie, meadow or other mixed natural planting
© 2009 Barry Rice
© 2007, Rod Gilbert
http://seedsofsuccess.smugmug.com/Bureau-of-Land-Management/BLM-
OR930/4721037_pt67MZ#!i=279488941&k=2Ceng
Practical uses of Spring Gold
Edible uses Young, crisp leaves eaten raw.
Leaves, sometimes with flowers, cooked, fried in oil and salt and eaten. Or may be boiled, roasted or steamed as a pot herb or in stews/soups.
Roots: raw or cooked – or dried – harvest just after flowering; good addition to soups/stews
Medicinal uses Roots (fresh or dried) for headaches
© Project SOUND http://www.researchlearningcenter.org/bloom/mobile/species/Lomatium_utriculatum.htm
Pollinator decline and research needs
Our understanding of pollination services is considerably hampered by a lack of some very basic knowledge.
Pollination services of flies are underestimated and functional relations poorly understood.
In the past, much pollination research has focused on bees, leaving a wide opportunity open for the study of other pollinator assemblages.
Although some types of fly pollinators have been well studied, as a group, fly pollination deserves far more research.
It is striking how large the gaps in species knowledge are: probably less than 10% of all Diptera species are named worldwide; considerable gaps exist even in Europe, where the fauna is generally well documented.
© Project SOUND
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Flies: Important in SW Native American lore
Big Fly, do'tsoh, is very important to the Navajo Indians in Northern Arizona and New Mexico. He is an intercessor, mentor and advise giver. He appears to have much of the capacities of the Spider Woman figure in the Navajo except to men, especially Holy Man. He is the daytime messenger to the Sun
In the Piman speakers of Southern Arizona and Northwestern Mexico, Blue-Green Fly teaches the Seris of the Sonoran coast and the Pima of AZ how to make fire.
Robber Fly is a hunter in Chiricahua Apache lore who carries his meat in a bag on his shoulder. Flies once were humans – they brought fire to all people
© Project SOUND © Project SOUND http://www.swanlake.bc.ca/native-plant-gallery.php
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