Pollinators of Syntopic Marcgravia Species in Costa Rican Lowland Rain Forest: Bats and Opossums

Abstract

The visitors of four syntopically occurring species of Marcgravia (M. nervosa, M. serrae, M. mexicana, and M. nepenthoides) in the Atlantic lowland rain forest at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica were observed. The four species differed in flowering phenology and morphology of inflorescences. Flowers of all species opened during the night and the stamens dropped before dawn. All species were visited by small nectar-feeding bats (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae). Marcgravia nepenthoides, with much larger nectaries, additionally attracted two species of opossums, Caluromys derbianus and Didelphis marsupialis. Judging from the large distance between nectaries and flowers, glossophagine bats probably are inefficient pollinators of this species, and merely exploit a non-flying mammal pollination system.

Key words

Marcgravia - chiropterophily - Glossophaginae - opossum - pollination - non-flying mammals