Olfaction in the fruit-eating bats Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata: an experimental analysis

Abstract

Studies suggest that frugivorous bats search and select fruit mainly by olfaction so that they can be attracted by smell alone. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in captivity, the behavioural response (number of foraging attempts) of Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata offered essential oils extracted from ripe fruit of Ficus insipida (Moraceae) and Piper hispidum (Piperaceae) as well as intact fruit wrapped in gauze to attract bats with reduced visual stimuli. Based on previous reports, we hypothesized that A. lituratus would exhibit preference for Ficus fruits/oil while C. perspicillata would prefer Piper fruit/oil. Four arrangements of these attractants were tested in triplicate: P. hispidum fruit vs. F. insipida fruit, P. hispidum oil vs. F. insipida oil, P. hispidum oil vs. F. insipida fruit and P. hispidum fruit vs. F. insipida oil. As expected, in all tests, A. lituratus showed the highest number of foraging attempts in F. insipida while C. perspicillata in those of P. hispidum. Based on the number of foraging attempts both species exhibited a positive response to their favorite fruit genera, though the differences were not always statistically significant. The results confirm the importance of smell in fruit choice by these species.

Assessment of Attractants for Neotropical Mammals

“…Frugivorous bats are fundamental for the maintenance of biodiversity and environmental services, such as seed dispersal in Neotropical ecosystems (Bianconi et al, 2012). Based on a detailed knowledge of bat fruit interactions, substances from vegetable origin (fruits, essential oils, and floral compounds) have become a useful attractant for frugivorous bats, increasing the potential for restoration projects (Bianconi et al, 2012;Parolin et al, 2015). Our results corroborated these assumptions as all studies with frugivorous bats showed attraction for at least one substance of vegetable origin used.…”

“…The relative ease of handling certain groups (e.g., bats) facilitates the development of experiments to test interactions with a variety of attractive substances. For example, Parolin et al. (2015) evaluated the visual, olfactory, and spatial interactions between frugivorous bats and substances of vegetable origin, demonstrating the use of innovative approaches beyond the evaluations of echolocation and spatial search, often carried out with captive animals (Schnitzler & Kalko, 2001).…”

“…The use of some substances is already well established for some mammal groups. For example, frugivorous bats are usually attracted by substances from vegetable origin such as floral compounds and essential oils (Bianconi et al, 2012;Parolin, Mikich, & Bianconi, 2015;von Helversen et al, 2000). However, the majority of substances used for specific groups and species lack replications and specific tests, are restricted to a limited number of species, and do not make use of controls (Acosta-Jamett & Simonetti, 2004;Lucherini et al, 2009;Portella, Bilski, Passos, & Pie, 2013;Trolle, 2003).…”

Consistency in fruit preferences across the geographical range of the frugivorous bats Artibeus , Carollia and Sturnira (Chiroptera)

“…Some authors relate the elevated consumption of Ficus by bats to: position occupied by these trees in the forest stratum (Bonaccorso, 1979), nutritional composition (Wendeln et al, 2000;Dumont, 2003), or opportunistic behavior related to the abundance of this resource (Heithaus et al, 1975;Bonaccorso, 1979;Mello & Passos, 2008). Although this last factor should contribute to the maintenance of the Artibeus-Ficus relationship, selection for fruit of this genus occurs even when their abundance is lower than that of other fruits (Morrison, 1978;Parolin et al, 2015).…”

Claustrum of the short‐tailed fruit bat, Carollia perspicillata: Alignment of cellular orientation and functional connectivity

“…Carollia weighs on average about 18 g. As all microbats, it orients primarily by echolocation (Hartley and Suthers, 1987;Esser and Eiermann, 1999;Koay et al, 2003;Heffner et al, 2007;Brinklov et al, 2011), generating sonar pulses in the larynx. Carollia also has excellent vision (Heffner et al, 2007;Butz et al, 2015) and olfaction (Parolin et al, 2015).…”