Gongylolepis martiana, an Asteraceae pollinated by bats in the Amazon

Abstract

Most Asteraceae species are pollinated by insects, mainly bees and butterflies, although pollination by birds has been documented and pollination by bats has been suggested for some species. Here, we investigated the pollination of Gongylolepis martiana, a species supposedly pollinated by bats. We assessed floral traits and visitors in a population of G. martiana in the Brazilian Amazon, measuring pollen removal from anthers and deposition on stigmas by diurnal and nocturnal visitors. Florets opened at dusk and lasted for 4 days, with the male phase starting on the first night and the female phase on the third night. Accumulated nectar per capitulum was 69.6 μl per night and sugar concentration was 15%. Nectar‐feeding bats and hummingbirds contacted the sexual parts, but pollen removal and deposition were greater throughout the night than during the day, when Meliponini bees considerably reduced pollen availability. Other nocturnal visitors of G. martiana were rare, including nocturnal bees and moths that foraged for pollen and nectar, respectively. Our results support that nectarivorous bats are the main pollinators of G. martiana, confirming Vogel’s hypothesis of bat pollination in Asteraceae, particularly in the genus Gongylolepis. Since anthesis and each sexual floral phase started in the evening, nectarivorous bats and diurnal bees caused additive priority effects, preventing hummingbirds from being efficient pollinators. The high density of flowering individuals of G. martiana in patches from white‐sand forests likely increases bat attraction, while the small amount of nectar per plant favours cross‐pollination.

The circadian clock controls temporal and spatial patterns of floral development in sunflower

“…While the molecular pathways controlling elongation of anther filaments and styles in sunflowers are likely different, we demonstrate that their common regulation by the circadian clock results in the fast and near-synchronous release of pollen a few hours after dawn. Intriguingly, many bee- and butterfly-pollinated Asteraceae species release pollen in the morning ( Budumajji and Raju, 2018 ; Hipólito et al, 2013 ; Neff and Simpson, 1990 ; Valentin-Silva et al, 2016 ) while at least one bat-pollinated member of the family releases pollen in the early night ( Amorim et al, 2021 ). Since a delay in the timing of pollen release relative to dawn reduces pollinator visits ( Figure 7E–H ) and negatively affects male reproductive success in sunflower ( Creux et al, 2021 ), it is tempting to speculate that clock regulation of late-stage floret development may be widespread in the Asteraceae.…”

The circadian clock controls temporal and spatial patterns of floral development in sunflower

“…While the molecular pathways controlling elongation of anther filaments and styles in sunflower are likely different, we demonstrate that their common regulation by the circadian clock results in the fast and near-synchronous release of pollen a few hours after dawn. Intriguingly, many bee- and butterfly-pollinated Asteraceae species release pollen in the morning (Budumajji and Raju, 2018; Hipólito et al, 2013; Neff and Simpson, 1990; Valentin-Silva et al, 2016) while at least one bat-pollinated member of the family releases pollen in the early night (Amorim et al, 2021). Since the precise timing of pollen release relative to dawn affects male reproductive success in sunflower (Creux et al, 2021), it is tempting to speculate that clock regulation of late-stage floret development may be widespread in the Asteraceae.…”

A novel bat pollination system involving obligate flower corolla removal has implications for global Dillenia conservation

“…Many unusual cases of pollination by bats exist, such as the pollination of Gongylolepis martiana (Asteraceae, a family mostly pollinated by invertebrates) [47] and members of the Acanthaceae [48]; however, they involve classic anthesis − i.e., flowers opening when sexually functional, as is the case for most known bat-pollinated flowers [37]. Two other examples of pollination requiring corolla manipulation by bats include the explosive pollen release of Mucuna holtonii [49] and M. andreana [50] by phyllostomid bats in Costa Rica, and corolla opening of Mucuna species by flying-foxes [51,52].…”