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RE: More deceptive flowers ~ Ceropegia
As I have mentioned before I have always been fascinated with carnivorous plants. I know that by your description these are not carnivorous, but the technique of trapping the flies is very similar. What I don't understand is what is the purpose of trapping the fly instead of letting it go after it has checked out the flower, thereby getting pollen on itself and then pollinating other flowers.
The flowers are not self-fertile, meaning that they need pollen to be transferred between different plants and that is why the flies are released
I understand that. Bees travel from flower to flower thereby transferring the pollen. Why do these flowers need to trap the flies. Just landing on the flower will get pollen on them to be transferred to the next flower.
It's all about exploiting different ecological niches. Various flies and wasps also pollinate flowers, not just bees, moths and butterflies