Abstract
The visitors of four syntopically occurring species of Marcgravia (M. nervosa, M. serrae, M. mexicana, and M. nepenthoides) in the Atlantic lowland rain forest at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica
were observed. The four species differed in flowering phenology and morphology of
inflorescences. Flowers of all species opened during the night and the stamens dropped
before dawn. All species were visited by small nectar-feeding bats (Phyllostomidae:
Glossophaginae). Marcgravia nepenthoides, with much larger nectaries, additionally attracted two species of opossums, Caluromys derbianus and Didelphis marsupialis. Judging from the large distance between nectaries and flowers, glossophagine bats
probably are inefficient pollinators of this species, and merely exploit a non-flying
mammal pollination system.
Key words
Marcgravia
- chiropterophily - Glossophaginae - opossum - pollination - non-flying mammals
