Caring for Pollinators - Bundesamt für Naturschutz

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Tschapka Fact sheet pollinators: Bats (Chiroptera) POLLINATOR GROUP: BATS Order: Chiroptera Author: MARCO TSCHAPKA Species number Worldwide: ca. 100 species. Number of families: 2 (Phyllostomidae, Pteropodidae, additionally very few opportunistic flower visitors in other bat families, e.g. Mystacinidae) Distribution Subtropical and tropical regions. Main specialized flower visitors in the Neotropics are the Glossophaginae (Phyllostomidae). Among the Old World Pteropodidae (Flying Foxes) are only a few specialized flower visitors, while a larger number of species opportunistically visit flowers and supplement their fruit diet with nectar. Bat biology and pollination A Neotropical Lichonycteris obscura (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) approaching an inflorescence of Marcgravia nervosa (Marcgraviaceae), a canopy liana. Photo by Marco Tschapka, University of Ulm. Bat pollination (Chiropterophily) is an entirely subtropical and tropical phenomenon, due to the necessity of year-round availability of the floral resources for the long-lived animals. Corresponding to size and food requirements of their comparably large pollinators, bat pollinated flowers are usually rather big and offer considerable amounts of nectar and pollen. Main bat flower visitors in the Old World are flying foxes (Pteropodidae), bats that evidently have lost their echolocation capability and rely instead on an excellent night vision for nocturnal orientation (Teeling et al. 2005). Most of the pteropodid bats are rather unspecialized flower visitors that opportunistically consume nectar in addition to a diet mainly based on fruits. Only a number of taxa, e.g. the genera Macroglossus, Megaloglossus and Syconycteris specialize on nectar and show distinct adaptations to this diet, such as elongated rostra and tongues. Nectar is mainly consumed while clinging to a flower; hovering visits are rare. Another Old World flower visitor is the extraordinary Mystacina tuberculata (Mystacinidae) from New Zealand. This bat, one of the two species of native terrestrial mammals in New Zealand, feeds mainly on arthropods but visits also a number of flowers that appear to be specialized on bat pollination (Lord, 1991, Arkins et al. 1999). 177
Tschapka Fact sheet pollinators: Bats (Chiroptera) In the New World bat pollination systems appear to be more specialized. Especially the Glossophaginae, a subfamily within the ecologically extremely adaptable New World Leaf- Nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) evolved into using nectar as their main dietary item. Fruits and insects form for several species also part of the diet; however, the main morphological and behavioural adaptations of Glossophagines are only related to nectarivory: An extremely long tongue and an associated long rostrum allow the access to nectar produced deep within blossoms; teeth are frequently reduced and flowers are visited in short hovering flights. New World glossophagine bats are distributed from the Southern United States to Argentina and live in deserts, rain forests and tropical mountain ranges up to 3000 m. A few species migrate seasonally in response to the phenology of important food plants, such as Agave spp. and columnar cactus species. Besides the specialized Glossophagines and the small Antillean subfamily Phyllonycterinae, there are also a number of opportunistic phyllostomid flower visitors such as Phyllostomus discolor (Phyllostomidae: Phyllostominae) or Artibeus jamaicensis (Phyllostomidae: Stenoderminae) that feed mainly on other resources, such as insects or fruit but may include also nectar from large flowers into their diet. Main flower preferences The main motivation for flower-visitation by bats is nectar; only in a few plant species serve fleshy floral parts as a reward for the visitors (Lord 1991, Tschapka 2003). Pollen is for specialized nectar-feeding bats an important source of protein that is ingested both directly from the flower and also indirectly while grooming the fur during nocturnal resting periods. Nightblooming flowers pollinated by bats both in the New and the Old World are characterized by – to humans – not very pleasant odours, that have been compared to e.g., the smell of garlic, mouse urine or human excrements (Dobat & Peikert-Holle 1985). To facilitate the flower access for the relatively large bats, inflorescences are often raised well above the leaves or hang on long stalks into the open air space below branches (flagelliflory). At some trees flowers emerge also directly from the trunk or from larger branches (cauliflory). During the night bright colours are of less importance for finding flowers, and consequently many batpollinated flowers are dull brown, green, or purple. Nevertheless, white flowers, such as those of some columnar cacti in the Mexican deserts (e.g. Stenocereus spp., Pachycereus spp.), may also provide optical guidance for the bats in these more open habitats. Some flowers in the Neotropics may even address the bats´ echolocation system by providing particularly good sound reflecting properties, such as the vine Mucuna holtonii (Fabaceae) (Helversen & Helversen 1999). Flower visitation by pteropodid bats in the Old World occurs mainly by landing on the flowers, and the specifically adapted flowers, such as Musa (Musaceae) or Kigelia (Bignoniaceae) have to be robust enough to support the weight of their large visitors. The hovering capabilities of the New World Glossophagines, however, allowed also some of the more fragile plant families to develop mutualisms with pollinating bats. Consequently Neotropical bats visit robust flowers, such as Agave spp. and Ochroma pyramidale, but also smaller and more delicate flowers, even from herbs, such as Irlbachia alata (Gentianaceae), Capanea grandiflora (Gesneriaceae) or Burmeistera spp. (Lobeliaceae). The latter are exclusively used by the hovering glossophagines, while opportunistic nectar-feeding phyllostomid bats generally perch on some of the more robust flowers. 178
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Caring for Pollinators Safeguarding
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Cover picture: Fruit basket with it
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Vorwort Blütenbestäuber nehmen ei
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L.E. NEWSTROM-LLOYD, J. COOPER, N.J
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Ssymank, Hamm, Vischer-Leopold & Wi
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Ssymank, Hamm, Vischer-Leopold & Wi
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Collette International Perspektive
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Dias The Brazilian Pollinators Init
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Ruggiero, Adams, Saraiva North and
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Steffan-Dewenter Pollinator decline
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Programme: 18:15 h Opening by AXEL
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