Intraspecific variability of nectar attracts different bats: the case of Pseudalcantarea viridiflora, a bromeliad with crepuscular anthesis

ABSTRACT

Intraspecific variation in floral traits, such as nectar, could lead to differences in the identity and pollinator effectiveness of visitors between populations of a flowering plant. We studied the bat-pollinated bromeliad species Pseudalcantarea viridiflora to determine whether there are differences in the identity of its pollinators and in its nectar traits between two study sites located at different latitudes in Veracruz, Mexico. We studied phenology and determined the volume, concentration and quantity of dissolved sugars in the nectar at both sites. The northern P. viridiflora population produced nectar that was more sugar-rich, leading to pollination by a larger species, Anoura geoffroyi, whereas the southern populations were visited mainly by Glossophaga mutica, a smaller pollinator. The most abundant nectarivorous bats at each site differ in terms of their efficiency as pollinators, and we suggest that this might affect their contribution to the fitness of the bromeliad.

Keywords:
Anoura; Bromeliaceae; chiropterophily; Glossophaga; Mexico; nectar traits; pollination; pollinator effectiveness