El Nectar y el Polen como Recursos: El Papel Ecologico de los Visitantes a las Flores de Pseudobombax ellipticum (H.B.K.) Dugand

  • Eguiarte L
  • del Rio C
  • Arita H
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Abstract

The floral biology of P. ellipticum and the foraging patterns of its visitors were studied near Tlayacapan, Morelos, Mexico (at 1950 m altitude). P. ellipticum (Bombacaceae) presents big flowers (red or white) that produce nectar during the night and the following morning. At night three species of bats (L. sanborm, C. mexicana, and G. leachii, Family Phyllostomidae) visited the flowers rapidly and always carried mixed pollen loads (of P. ellipticum and Ipomoea sp.). During the day the flowers were visited by three oriole species (I. waglert, I. pustulatus, and I. galbula bullocki), two hummingbird species (A. violiceps and C. sordidus), and by four species of bees. The foraging patterns of the birds are affected by the total amount of available nectar and by inter- and intraspecific agonistic interactions, whereas the foraging patterns of the bees depend on the availability of pollen. The visitors can be classified in three categories: main pollinators (bats), minor pollinators (orioles), and parasites (hummingbirds and bees). Bees play a very important negative role by reducing oriole pollination.

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Eguiarte, L., del Rio, C. M., & Arita, H. (1987). El Nectar y el Polen como Recursos: El Papel Ecologico de los Visitantes a las Flores de Pseudobombax ellipticum (H.B.K.) Dugand. Biotropica, 19(1), 74. https://doi.org/10.2307/2388462

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