A guild of 28 winter-and spring-flowering species of two plant families, Iridaceae and Geraniaceae, with intense pe to crimson flowers and extremely long and slender dees tubes, is pollinate d exclusively by two long-tongued I flies of the family Nemestrinidae.The two species of flies, Prosoeca peringueyi and P. sp. nov., are active in the late winter and spring, have large bodies, caste s 20-50 mm on and forage for necta while hovering.Plants pollinated hy these two flies share a suite of convergent floral characteristics, including a pee.or slightly curved floral tube at least 20 mm and up to 70 mm long, relatively short petals or tepals colored pé: cni dark blue-or red-purple with pale nectar guides, and anthers and stigmas exserted from the tube and.usually unilateral in orientation.With me exception, the flowers of all species secrete large amounts of nectar of relatively e E total sugar concentration, y 24-29%, and high sucrose: hexose ratio.Most members of the guild e odorless flowers.The long floral tube makes nectar unavailable to most insects, including a variety of bees, wasps, and other flies that pollinate plants which co-occur with members of the long-tubed flower guild.The two Prosoeca species have mouthparts long enough to forage effectively on these long-tubed flowers.^ they are also effective pollinators because pollen adheres to their bodies and is transported from flower to flower.e flies visit a wide range of plants but are effective ra only of those with tube lengths greater that their uude is lengths.We have identified four mutually exclus s of pollen P. peringueyi P. peringueyi 2 2 , > y P. peringueyi P. peringueyi P. peringueyi (P.peringueyi) P. sp. nov.P. peringueyi P. sp. nor.-P.peringueyi) P. peringueyi (P.sp.) (P.peringue yt) (P.peringueyi) P. peringueyi P. (P. sp.) (P.peringueyi)
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Manning et al. (1996) studied this question.