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- Title
FLEURS VISITÉES PAR ROUSETTUS MADAGASCARIENSIS G. GRANDIDIER, 1928 (CHIROPTERA : PTEROPODIDAE) DANS LA RÉSERVE SPÉCIALE D'ANKARANA, MADAGASCAR.
- Authors
VOLOLONA, Judith; RAMAVOVOLOLONA, Perle; NOROALINTSEHENO LALARIVONIAINA, Oliva S.; GOODMAN, Steven M.
- Abstract
Certain species of Old World fruit bats (Family Pteropodidae) feed on flowering plants for which they are potential pollinators. While some information is available for the two largest species of endemic Malagasy pteropodids (Pteropus rufus and Eidolon dupreanum), little is known about the plant species visited by Rousettus madagascariensis, the smallest endemic member of this family. To determine the plant taxa visited by R. madagascariensis, individuals were captured in the Réserve Spéciale d'Ankarana during the dry season (September and November 2016) and the wet season (April 2017). Immediately after capture, the rostrum of individual bats was swabbed for pollen traces, which were ithen identified using a flowering plant pollen catalog for the site. Thirteen plant taxa were identified from the bats, the most visited being Parkia madagascariensis (26.5%) and Eucalyptus spp. (16.9%). Rousettus madagascariensis showed sexual differences in plant species visited during the two seasons. This bat showed a preference for small, white or yellow flowers, with numerous stamens and axillary floriferous branches, which are chiropterophilic traits. It is assumed that R. madagascariensis can serve as a pollinator of the visited plant species.
- Publication
Bulletin de la Societe Zoologique de France, 2020, Vol 145, Issue 1, p49
- ISSN
0037-962X
- Publication type
Article