(Pollen types found on hawkmoths (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) in the Atlantic Rain Forest area of Southeastern Brazil: use of palinology in studies of ecological interactions). The species of the plants used by a hawkmoth community (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) were recorded through pollen types collected on the bodies of specimens in an area of the Atlantic Rain Forest of Southeastern Brazil. A total of 63 pollen types of 27 families were recorded, which showed assimetrical temporal distribution during the study. Species of Rubiaceae, Bromeliaceae and Fabaceae predominated in the records. The Inga pollen type was present in almost all the recorded months and in many of the hawkmoths species. Pollen types of species that did not present sphingophilous traits were the most common in the samples, a fact that could be related with the generalist foraging pattern of this group of Lepidoptera. This study demonstrates the utility of palinology on ecological studies of plant-pollinator interactions in the tropics.
generalist foraging; hawkmoth community; Inga; Rubiaceae
