South Africa, mainly Pietermaritzburg.
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Thursday, 3 July 2014

Stapelia gigantea / Chrysomya




Part of my Stapelia collection.
The fly in the top picture, and and the close up below, give an indication of the size of the flower, some 10 inches wide, hence the specific epithet gigantea. The previously described sp. nobilis has has been subsumed to a subspecies of this flower.
The fly is one of the Blowflies attracted to the smell. Because of its white face and eye surround, it may be Chrysomya albiceps (again sp. epithet: white head.)
Stapelias rely on an interesting pollination method, reminiscent of the orchids. They rely on their smell of rotting carrion to attract flies. These get caught in the cleft in the staminal column and in the effort to get free catch onto the pollinaria and take it to the next flower.
 

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