Synchronous phenology of hawkmoths (Sphingidae) and Inga species (Fabaceae–Mimosoideae): implications for the restoration of the Atlantic forest of northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Biotic and abiotic factors such as resource availability and rainfall may exert influence on the life cycle of several organisms. In this study, we investigated correlations between the phenology of hawkmoths, flowering phenology of Inga Mill. species (Fabaceae-Mimosoideae-Ingeae) and rainfall in one of the largest remnants of Atlantic forest in northeastern Brazil (Coimbra forest with ca. 3500 ha). We carried out monthly hawkmoth inventories and phenological observations of the five most abundant Inga species in Coimbra forest from October 2005 to August 2007. Altogether 39 hawkmoth individuals were collected with light trap or butterfly net, which were ascribed to nine genera and 14 species. With the present study Pachygonidia caliginosa Boisduval (BombycoideaSphingidae-Dilophonotina) is registered for the second time in Brazil, since the species had been previously collected only in the Amazon. The tribe Dilophonotina was the most represented with five species. Animals with short proboscises (14.7-35.0 mm) represented over 69.7% of the sample. Most individuals were collected during the months of low rainfall, the same period of the highest flower abundance of five Inga species. The flowering of Inga vera, I. striata and I. ingoides was positively correlated with hawkmoth abundance. The synchrony of the activity period of these animals in adult phase with certain nectar sources, and the relationship between morphological parameters of hawkmoths and Inga flowers suggest a narrow pollination mutualistic relationship at the study site. Considering the hotspot status of the Atlantic forest due to high fragmentation and habitat loss, as well as the previous local extinction of hawkmoth species in smaller fragments of the studied landscape, our results are relevant for restoration plans not only for the Brazilian Atlantic forest, but for neotropical forests in general, where Inga is native.

Beyond the pollination syndrome: nectar ecology and the role of diurnal and nocturnal pollinators in the reproductive success of Inga sessilis (Fabaceae)

“…However, hawkmoth activity was still high even during the months of lowest I. sessilis flowering intensity. This pattern of synchrony (at least in certain periods of the year) between hawkmoth abundance and blooming of Inga species was recently recorded in an Atlantic rain forest in northeast Brazil (Cruz‐Neto et al. 2011).…”

Genetic and Ecological Outcomes of Inga vera Subsp. affinis (Leguminosae) Tree Plantations in a Fragmented Tropical Landscape

“…The genetic recovery found in this study may also be attributed to the highly synchronous flowering among populations of I. vera in the northeastern Atlantic forest [22]. The synchronous flowering events of I. vera which are typical of other Inga [22], [44] species, means that planted populations may be an abundant source of flowers for pollinators supplementing natural populations.…”

“…The synchronous flowering events of I. vera which are typical of other Inga [22], [44] species, means that planted populations may be an abundant source of flowers for pollinators supplementing natural populations. Planted stands of I. vera with a high density of individuals can increase the availability of floral resource such as nectar and pollen, and therefore favour the attraction of pollinators [45], [46], connecting natural fragments with the reforested stands.…”

Genetic diversity and hybridization in the two species Inga ingoides and Inga edulis: potential applications for agroforestry in the Peruvian Amazon

“…Firstly, the natural distribution of the two species overlaps, although in our study the differences in habitat reflected the location of the sampled individuals of both species, with I. edulis found mainly in non-flooded terraces or temporarily flooded sites, and with I. ingoides found predominantly in periodically flooded areas (Pennington 1997). Secondly, in some studies based on I. ingoides and I. edulis, flowering phenology observations indicate synchronous flowering, which is also common in other Inga species (Pennington 1997;Cruz-Neto et al 2011;Koptur 1984). Thirdly, the putative introgression between both species is also supported by low differentiation in microsatellite allele frequencies between the two cooccurring species (3.6 %), suggesting at least past gene flow (Moran et al 2012).…”

“…According to Pennington (1997), I. ingoides flowering season, from August to November, partially overlaps the I. edulis June-October flowering season. The Inga species has brush-type flowers with mainly nocturnal anthesis specialized for hawkmoth (Sphingidae) and bat (Phyllostomidae) visits (Cruz-Neto et al 2011, and references therein), yet diurnal visits by hummingbirds (Trochilidae) and hawkmoths were also observed by Koptur (1984).…”