Pameridea
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 Pameridea roridulae
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Pameridea marlothi |
Pameridea is a genus of insects comprising two species.
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[edit] Symbiosis
Pameridea roridulae lives in a symbiotic relationship with the carnivorous plant Roridula. There are two Roridula species: Roridula gorgonias and Roridula dentata. Pameridea marlothii only occurs on R. dentata, while P. roridulae exists on both.
[edit] Life cycle
Pameridea roridulae can only live on the plant Roridula and, it feeds on captured insects that the plant catches with its mucilage-tipped trichomes. Once done devouring the captured arthropod, it then proceeds to exhume waste, which the plant absorbs using glands. It is a symbiotic insect because of this. It mates, too, while on the plant, and younglings are hatched, and then they continue to live on the Roridula plant.
[edit] Conservation status
Since it is symbiotic with the Roridula plant, its status depends on the status of the plant. The Roridula plant is scarce, due to collectors, pollution, and habitat destruction. While it is secure in cultivation from avid carnivorous plant enthusiasts. However, in the wild, it may be scarce.
[edit] Characteristics
Pameridea roridulae and P. marlothii both have wings; however they are not very good fliers. They are small bugs, usually not reaching more than a few millimetres in size.
[edit] Relationship with Roridula
The relationship with Roridula consists primarily of the fact that Roridula produces resin that cannot digest the bugs like other carnivorous plants such as Dionaea muscipula, or Drosera, Pinguicula, Nepenthes and other carnivorous plants have. Thus, P. roridulae and P. marlothii devour the trapped insects on the Roridula and then exhume waste which is consumeable by the plant to supplement its carnivory since it grows in nutrient poor soil. Without the Roridula the Pameridea cannot find a food source; and ultimately die. They breed and live on the plant. Because P. roridulae and P. marlothii eat and digest the food for the plant, some carnivorous plant enthusiasts consider Roridula only sub-carnivorous; however it is only a matter of style. Even though S. purpurea uses a variety of worm to digest captured arthropods for them, and the same is for Darlingtonia californica, Roridula is related in these ways. Pameridea have special feet with hairs on them that allow them to run through the plants' resin without being caught themselves.
