Seed dispersal by kleptoparasitic flies

Seed dispersal is critical for plant reproduction, and plays a key role in shaping ecosystems¹. Most seed plants are animal dispersed¹, largely by vertebrates - invertebrate-mediated dispersal is rarer and underexplored, apart from seed dispersal by ants (myrmecochory), which disperse seeds of over 11,000 species². Rare instances of dispersal by other invertebrates, such as wasps, wetas, and beetles, have been reported^3,4,5. Despite their global distribution and diversity, flies (Diptera) have never been reported as seed dispersers. Among Diptera, kleptoparasitic flies - notably the genus Bengalia (Calliphoridae) - rob food and offspring from ants^6,7,8. Given the overlap in distribution between Bengalia flies and ant-dispersed plants, it is plausible that the flies interact with seed-dispersing ants, but this remains untested. Here, we report the first evidence of seed dispersal by flies.