POLLINATION BY MONKEY BEETLES (COLEOPTERA, SCARABAEIDAE, HOPLIINI) - FLOWER AND COLOR PREFERENCES

Colour preferences and flower selection by monkey beetles (Scarabaeida e: Hopliini) were examined at two sites in the Biedouw Valley: near Cl anwilliam, and a site at Darling. Correlation was obtained between the attraction of beetles to colour-traps and the colours of host-plant f lowers. Three pollinator guilds were defined on colour preferences and feeding behaviour. A blue/white pollinator guild comprising species o f Anisonyx Fabricius and Peritrichia Burmeister were attracted to blue and white traps, and pollinated blue-violet and white flowers. These beetles feed on pollen (and possibly on nectar) and do not imbed thems elves in flowers. This, together with their dense pilosity and frequen t flower visitation rates, suggests that they are important pollinator s. A second embedding guild consists of the genera Scelophysa Gyllenha l, Heterochelus Burmeister, Gymnoloma Peringuey, Heterochelus Burmeist er and Pachycnema Burmeister. These beetles show pronounced sexual dim orphism and are relatively free of hair. They characteristically embed in species of Asteraceae and Mesembryanthemaceae, feeding on the ray florets, ovule and pollen. They probably have a limited role as pollin ators. A third pollen-feeding guild is intermediate between these two guilds. It comprises species of Lepithrix Serville which, like the mem bers of the embedding guild, select red, yellow, orange and white pigm ents and flowers. They do not embed, but feed superficially on pollen of Asteraceae. They are numerous, active and densely pilose, features indicating that they play an important role as pollinators.