Analysis of pollen on the fur of Phyllostomidae bats (Chiroptera) at the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo State, Brazil

ABSTRACT

(Analysis of pollen on the fur of Phyllostomidae bats (Chiroptera) at the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, São Paulo State, Brazil). Pollination is a well successful mutualistic relationship between bats and angiosperms but little is known about pollen diversity on the fur of the phytophagous species of bats. This study aimed to record the pollen types found on the fur of Phyllostomidae bats in order to identify possible interactions between these animals and plants. Mist nets were used to capture bats at the Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga, municipality of São Paulo, between October 2015 and September 2016. Pollen grains were collected with a brush and distilled water and subjected to laboratory analysis. Seventy-two pollen types were recorded, of which the most frequent were Alchornea (9.3%, n=20), Eucalyptus (5.6%, n=12), and Euterpe (4.6%, n=10). As a total, 267 bats belonging to five species were sampled, with Artibeus lituratus, Stunira lilium, and Artibeus fimbriatus presenting the highest diversity of pollen types on their bodies. In this study, unpublished interactions between bats and plants were identified.

Keywords:
Atlantic forest; bat-plant interaction; PEFI; phytophagous bats; pollen diversity