Field observations on Ceratopogonidae and other Diptera: Nematocera associated with cocoa flowers in Brazil

Abstract

AbstractIn field collections of Diptera associated with approximately 12 000 cocoa flowers in Bahia State, Brazil, 66% of the total catch consisted of Cecidomyiidae, 33% of Ceratopogonidae and 2% of Chironomidae and Psychodidae. The ceratopogonid species collected included Forcipomyia (F.) sp., F. (F.) genualis (Lw.), F. (F.) harpegonata Wirth & Soria, F. (F.) pictoni Macfie, three species of Forcipomyia (Euforcipomyia) sp., F. (E.) bromeliae Saund., F. (E,.) quasiingrami Macfie or near species, Forcipomyia (Thyridomyia) jipajapae Wirth, F. (Warmkea) lesliei Wirth, F. (Microhelea) fuliginosa (Mg.), Atrichopogon sp., Dasyhelea sp., Culicoides glabellus Wirth & Blanton and C. paraensis (Goeldi). There was some evidence that F. genualis or near species, Atrichopogon sp., Dasyhelea sp., and some species of Cecidomyiidae may pollinate cocoa. Of nine different organic substrates investigated as potential breeding sites, most species of Ceratopogonidae were reared from epiphytic bromeliads, rotting jackfruit, rotting banana stems and rotting cocoa pod husks.