NECTAR CONSUMERS - Nectaries and Nectar - page 291

Table 1. The diversity of nectar-consuming animals. The list is not intended to be comprehen-
sive, but rather to show the zoological variety of nectar consumers. Their nectar use ranges
from obligatory to occasional. Many other animals are occasional nectar feeders. (Armstrong,
1979; Proctor et al., 1996.)

Class Order Family Common names

Arachnida Araneae Salticidae, Thomisidae jumping spiders, crab

spiders

Acari Phytoseiidae, Ascidae predatory and flower mites

Insecta Thysanoptera Thripidae thrips

Coleoptera Scarabaeidae scarab beetles: flower

chafers

Lycidae net-winged beetles

Diptera Culicidae mosquitoes

Bombyliidae bee flies

Syrphidae hover flies

Muscidae, Calliphoridae house flies, blowflies, etc.

Tabanidae, Nemestrinidae long-tongued flies

Lepidoptera Noctuidae army worms, etc.

Sphingidae hawkmoths

Pieridae, Nymphalidae,
Papilionidae, Lycaenidae, etc.

butterflies

Hymenoptera Ichneumonidae, Braconidae,

Encyrtidae, and many others

parasitic wasps

Sphecidae, Pompilidae non-social wasps

Vespidae social wasps

Andrenidae, Halictidae, Col-
letidae, Melittidae

short-tongued bees

Megachilidae, Apidae long-tongued bees

Formicidae ants

Reptilia Squamata Gekkonidae geckos

Aves Psittaciformes Psittacidae lorikeets

Apodiformes Trochilidae hummingbirds

Passeriformes Meliphagidae honeyeaters

Fringillidae honeycreepers, flower-

piercers

Nectariniidae sunbirds, sugarbirds,

flowerpeckers

Mammalia Marsupialia Tarsipedidae honey possum

Chiroptera Pteropodidae fruit bats

Phyllostomidae leaf-nosed bats

Rodentia Muridae, Cricetidae rats and mice

Primates Lemuridae lemurs

Cercopithecidae monkeys and baboons