Eupetomena Macroura Research Articles

Nectar availability and Interactions with Bird Pollinators in Grevillea banksii R. Br. (Proteaceae) in a Restinga Ecosystem in Southeastern Brazil

The mutualistic relationship between plants and their pollinators may influence species’ spatial distribution, richness, and abundance. We assessed the nectar availability and interaction with pollinators in Grevillea banksii (Proteaceae), an alien plant in Brazil. Our objectives were to study the floral biology and the pollination system and identify the pollinators in a G. banksii population in a Restinga ecosystem (sand-coastal-plain) in southeastern Brazil. We described the behavioral parameters of the pollinator-plant interaction and determined how the pollinators contribute to reproduction. Floral biology was analyzed by taking morphometric measurements of the flowers and determining the distribution of their structures. The reproductive system was assessed via different pollination treatments (open pollination, self-pollination, manual selfpollination, manual cross-pollination). The pollinators were identified and their behaviors were assessed by focal observation. Flower morphometrics showed compatibility between the mean calyx length and the beak length of the flower-visiting hummingbirds. All the pollination types tested were efficient, and we identified eight bird species (Chionomesa fimbriata, Eupetomena macroura, Chlorestes notata, Polytmus guainumbi, Florisuga fusca, Coereba flaveola, Cyanerpes cyaneus and Dacnis cayana) that visit G. banksii in the study area. The results show a positive interaction between pollinators and plants, with offers of resources, pollination, and pollen dispersal.

Breeding biology of swallow-tailed hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) based on citizen science data

Breeding biology of swallow-tailed hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) based on citizen science data

Hummingbird (Aves: Trochilidae) assemblage using resources from the exotic African tuliptree, Spathodea campanulata (Bignoniaceae) in a Neotropical altered environment, southeastern Brazil.

The non-native African tuliptree, Spathodea campanulata (P. Beauv), is widely distributed in altered Neotropical environments, where hummingbirds are important pollinators. We investigated the assemblage of hummingbirds which fed on its nectar and described their behavior, to understand possible influences of the exotic tree on the territorial behavior in an altered environment in southeastern Brazil. Seven species fed on flower resources, mainly Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788), Amazilia lactea (Lesson, 1832), and Florisuga fusca (Vieillot, 1817). Visiting time was positive correlated with number of flowers accessed, but in most visits, hummingbirds get the nectar by pillage, instead of frontal access. Flower availability varied throughout months; however, we found no evidence of significative correlation between available flowers and number of agonistic encounters. Despite a high number of animal-plant interactions and a strong territorialism of some species observed in African tuliptree foraging site, there may be other plants at local scale influencing the behavioral patterns observed.

New host association and locality record for Pellonyssus gorgasi Yunker and Radovsky, 1966 (Mesostigmata: Macronyssidae) in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

ABSTRACTThe genus Pellonyssus Clark and Yunker, 1956 comprises 14 species worldwide that are associates of birds. One of these species, Pellonyssus gorgasi Yunker and Radovsky, 1966, parasitizes hummingbirds in the Americas. This study represents a new host association with Eupetomena macroura (Apodiformes: Trochilidae) and the first occurrence of this mite in the state of São Paulo.

Handroanthus impetiginosus (BIGNONIACEAE) AS AN IMPORTANT FLORAL RESOURCE FOR SYNANTHROPIC BIRDS IN THE BRAZILIAN SEMIARID

Handroanthus impetiginosus (Bignoniaceae) is commonly used in urban afforestation in the Brazilian semiarid, and it attracts native urban fauna during the dry season, when the plants are flowering. We conducted focal observations on nine flowering H. impetiginosus in an urban area at Brazilian semiarid to record the bird species that used flowers as a food resource and their behavior. We recorded four species of visiting birds at the H. impetiginosus flowers: Eupetomena macroura , Chlorostilbon lucidus , Icterus pyrrhopterus and Tangara sayaca . Of these, E. macroura and C. lucidus were observed on illegitimate visits, not contributing to the pollination, and E. macroura was the most aggressive species. Icterus pyrrhopterus and T. sayaca feeding on parts of the flowers or flower buds, generally promoting the flower abscission to access the nectar. The presence of H. impetiginosus can support generalist nectarivorous bird species, as E. macroura , C. lucidus and I. pyrrhopterus , and bees, as Xylocopa spp. in urban areas, which may contribute to the pollination of other native plant species in reforestation projects in this semiarid region.

Plant-hummingbird interactions and temporal nectar availability in a restinga from Brazil.

Hummingbirds are the most important and specialized group of pollinating birds in the Neotropics and their interactions with plants are key components to many communities. In the present study we identified the assemblage of plants visited by hummingbirds and investigated the temporal availability of floral resources in an area of restinga, sandy plain coastal vegetation associated with the Atlantic forest, in Southeastern Brazil. We recorded flower and nectar features, flowering phenology and interactions between plants and hummingbirds and estimated the amount of calories produced per hectare from June 2005 to August 2006. Ten plant species were visited by two hummingbirds, Amazilia fimbriata and Eupetomena macroura. Resource availability was highly variable among plant species and over time. Nectar volume and concentration per flower were similar to other Neotropical hummingbird-visited plant assemblages. The estimated nectar resource availability between months varied from 0.85 to 5.97 Kcal per hectare/day, demanding an area between one and 6.8 ha to support a single hummingbird. Our study reports an unusual tropical setting where almost all interactions between hummingbirds and plants were performed by a single hummingbird species, A. fimbriata. Hence, the variable nectar availability is probably influencing hummingbird movements, its foraging area, and consequently plant pollination.

Flowers visited by hummingbirds in the open habitats of the southeastern Brazilian mountaintops: species composition and seasonality.

The hummingbird-visited plant community located on the open-habitat mountaintop of the Espinhaço Range was studied for two years (from August 2007 to July 2009) in Serra do Cipó National Park, Southeastern Brazil (19° 15' S and 43° 31' W). The floral characteristics and flowering period of the hummingbird-visited plants was monthly recorded along trails located in three vegetation types: (1) typical campos rupestres (TCR), (2) open fields (OPF), and (3) capões de mata (CAM). Hummingbird visitation was observed in 51 plant species, 22 ornithophilous and 29 non-ornithophilous species. The TCR showed the greatest number of species visited (N = 38), followed by the OPF (N = 18) and CAM (N = 17). Six species of hummingbirds were recorded visiting flowers: Augastes scutatus, Campylopterus largipennis, Colibri serrirostris, Chlorostilbon lucidus, Eupetomena macroura and Phaethornis pretrei. This study demonstrates that the species richness and the number of ornithophilous species visited by the hummingbirds at the study site are more similar to hummingbird-plant communities of the Atlantic Forest than to those of the Cerrado communities and other Brazilian highland open-habitat communities. The plant families most visited by hummingbirds were Bromeliaceae and Asteraceae. Although the Asteraceae family is rarely used as a food resource for hummingbirds in other high and lowland communities, in the study site this family is used mainly by the endemic hummingbird Augastes scutatus. We found a large overlap of flowering throughout the year among the species visited by the hummingbirds. Thus, the nectar availability supports these resident hummingbirds. The present study also showed that the studied hummingbird-plant community is composed of many species endemic to the campos rupestres of the Espinhaço Range, some of which are considered to be in danger of extinction, thus constituting a unique and threatened community. Thus, understanding hummingbird-plant pollination dynamics becomes fundamental to the conservation of the campos rupestres.

Birds as potential pollinators of the Spathodea nilotica (Bignoniaceae) in the urban environment.

Birds play crucial role on the pollination of many plants. However, little is known about the interactions between nectarivorous neotropical birds and exotic Angiosperms. S. nilotica is an exotic African plant widely used in Brazilian urban landscaping. However, it has been poorly studied in relation to its interactions with Neotropical birds. In this way, we studied the feeding nectar strategies and the interspecific antagonistic behaviours among nectarivorous Neotropical birds to verify the bird contributions to the S. nilotica pollination. The study was conducted from May 2008 to April 2011, but only in months of S. nilotica flowering (April to May). From 148 hours of sampling we identified 16 species feeding nectar on S. nilotica: 13 hummingbirds (Trochilidae), Aratinga aurea (Psittacidae), Tangara palmarum (Thraupidae) and Coereba flaveola (Coerebidae). Eupetomena macroura was the most frequent (96.88%), followed by Chlorostilbon lucidus (78.13%) and Coereba flaveola (59.38%). Most birds obtained nectar by punching at the base of the corolla, except for A. aurea that obtained the nectar by the upper opening of the petals in 100% of its visits, Heliomaster furcifer (95.65%), F. fusca (95%) and A. nigricollis (70.27%). Despite E. macroura also obtains nectar only by punching at the base of the corolla, it showed the highest level of legitimate visits. Antagonistic events were more frequent in E. macroura (58.65%), Florisuga fusca (11.04%) and Amazilia fimbriata (10.87%), being E. macroura dominant in all events. These results showed E. macroura plays an important role on this plant being the most important bird as a potential pollinator. Moreover, other birds contribute partially to the S. nilotica pollination. Most probably it is a result of recent Neotropical bird interactions with this African plant.

Ecologia da polinização da cactácea Arrojadoa rhodantha em caatinga hiperxerófila

Arrojadoa rhodantha is a widely distributed species in the Caatinga. Due to deforestation, however, their populations have suffered considerable reduction both in terms of distribution and abundance. We study the reproductive phenology, floral biology and pollination mechanism of A. rhodantha to provide information about the pollination ecology of this species. The study was conducted between August 2010 and July 2011, in a caatinga area, municipality of Petrolina, Permanbuco State, Brazil, with 15 individuals of A. rhodantha and a sampling effort of 35 h observing floral visitors. Stages of flowering and fruiting occurred throughout the year, with greater production of flowers and fruits in the rainy season. The flowers are magenta, opening at around 4:00 a.m. and closing at 11:00 p.m. They were visited by hummingbirds (3 species), bees (3), flies (1) and butterflies (1). Trigona spinipes, Friseomelitta doederleini and a Halictidae were the most common floral visitors (93.16% of total visits). The hummingbirds are considered potential pollinators of this cactus, but accounted for only 6.18% of total visits, and Eupetomena macroura was the most frequent species. Bees, flies and the butterflies Phoebis philea were classified as nectar/pollen thieves or pollen robbers. Arrojadoa rhodantha produced fruits only in natural conditions (55%) and by xenogamy (35.3%). Because of the continuous flowering and fruiting, this species can be considered as an important source of food for the fauna from the Caatinga, where there is seasonality in the availability of food sources.

Cuphea melvilla Lindlay (Lythraceae): uma espécie do Cerrado polinizada por beija-flores

Cuphea melvilla é uma espécie peculiar dentro de um gênero majoritariamente melitófilo. Dois agrupamentos de indivíduos, em bordas das matas de galeria do Córrego do Panga, Uberlândia, MG, foram estudados com o objetivo de investigar o sistema de polinização e sistema de reprodução da espécie na região. O estudo foi realizado de janeiro a junho de 1999. Cuphea melvilla é uma espécie arbustiva com características morfológicas e eventos florais que confirmam sua adaptação à polinização por beija-flores. A floração foi longa, com início em Janeiro, em plena estação chuvosa, e término em Julho, no início da seca. O tubo floral formado pelo hipanto é calcarado na base, onde se acumula o néctar produzido por nectário localizado na base do ovário. As flores são marcadamente protândricas, mas flores em diferentes fases podem ser encontradas nos racemos. Os dados mostraram que a espécie é autocompatível e não apomítica, mas devido à dicogamia marcada, necessita polinização ativa para formar frutos. Phaethornis pretrei, Amazilia fimbriata, Thalurania furcata, Eupetomena macroura e Chlorostilbon lucidus (fêmea) foram as espécies de beija-flores observadas visitando e polinizando as flores de C. melvilla. Amazilia fimbriata e C. lucidus apresentaram ocasionalmente comportamento territorial, P. pretrei apresentou forrageamento em linhas de captura, e T. furcata e E. macroura apresentaram forrageamento do tipo oportunístico, visitando as populações estudadas esporadicamente. Amazilia fimbriata, C. lucidus e P. pretrei foram considerados os polinizadores mais importantes, dada a sua constância. As características morfológicas das flores de Cuphea melvilla relacionadas a adaptações aos beija-flores parecem ser derivadas no gênero, sendo que a polinização por beija-flores nas distintas seções indica adaptação convergente a este modo de polinização.

The community of hummingbirds (Aves: Trochilidae) and the assemblage of flowers in a Caatinga vegetation

We studied hummingbirds and their food plants in an area of caatinga vegetation. We specifically examined their seasonal use of this habitat, migratory and non-migratory status, their foraging strategies and community roles The study was conducted in an area of arboreal-shrub caatinga, located in the Serra do Pará, municipality of Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil. Field work was undertaken during 12 expeditions on a monthly basis between June, 2007 and May, 2008. Five species of hummingbirds were recorded visiting flowers in the community studied. Three were considered residents: Chlorostilbon lucidus (Shaw, 1812), Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788), and Heliomaster squamosus (Temminck, 1823). Hummingbirds visited 31 species of plants, of which only five presented attributes related to ornithophily. C. lucidus visited 29 plant species, including all ornithophilous species, and it was the most aggressive, defending territories. Among hummingbirds, C. lucidus may be considered the principal pollinator. Hummingbirds may also be acting as pollen vectors for some of the plant species not identified as ornithophilous. The hummingbird guilds varied among the plant species used as floral resources, as well as in their frequency of visits. Differences in plant species abundance, hummingbird preference, competitive exclusion or flowering seasonality are factors likely to influence those variations.

The hummingbird community and their floral resources in an urban forest remnant in Brazil

The temporal and spatial resource use among hummingbirds was studied over 13 months in an urban forest remnant (Prosa State Park: PSP) in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Hummingbird visitation was recorded at three ornithophilous and eleven non-ornithophilous species. Flower density was roughly constant during the study period, with the density of non-ornithophilous flowers being higher than that of ornithophilous ones. Mean values of nectar volume and concentration were similar between ornithophilous and non-ornithophilous species. Eight hummingbird species were observed at PSP: Amazilia fimbriata, Anthracothorax nigricollis, Chlorostilbon lucidus, Eupetomena macroura, Hylocharis chrysura, Florisuga fusca, Thalurania furcata and an unidentified species. Hummingbird visit frequencies to ornithophilous and non-ornithophilous flowers were similar. However, some non-ornithophilous species received a higher number of visits, which seems to be related to their large number of open flowers per plant per day. The number of feedings bouts of hummingbirds increased with the total number of flowers observed per focal plant. All recorded species of hummingbirds visited non-ornithophilous flowers, predominantly melittophilous and generalised entomophilous flowers. Hummingbird species recorded at PSP may be viewed as generalists, visiting a large number of non-ornithophilous species. Despite being an urban forest, PSP is relatively rich in hummingbird species, suggesting that it provides important shelter and foraging sites for hummingbirds in such an environment.

Floral resource availability and hummingbird territorial behaviour on a Neotropical savanna shrub

The influence of floral resource availability on behaviour and dominance hierarchy of hummingbirds has seldom been investigated in open tropical environments. We evaluated the behavioural changes of hummingbirds associated with Palicourea rigida, a shrub common in the Cerrado, the open savanna areas in Central Brazil. We observed the foraging behaviour as a function of resource availability and experimentally manipulated floral display and nectar in order to define resource thresholds associated with territorial behaviour and territory intruding behaviour. Territorial behaviour was observed only in patches with high floral abundance and was restricted to some hummingbird species. The large Eupetomena macroura seems to be the dominant species in the community, excluding other hummingbirds and holding the richest patches. The experimental reduction in the floral abundance and nectar led to the abandonment of territory by these hummingbirds, which reinforces the idea that a certain threshold is necessary to maintain territorial defence. Higher floral display, on the other hand, seems to lead to higher frequency of intrusions and higher behavioural complexity of territory defenders, possibly meaning greater energy expenditure. The flower number and nectar manipulation affected visitation rates of territorial hummingbirds, but the frequency of intruders was affected only by the former manipulation. This indicates that territorial intruder use visual cues (floral abundance) as indicators of resource availability in order to estimate cost–benefit of territory invasion. Although territorial behaviour could limit pollen flow in patches with larger floral displays, this may be compensated by the territory invaders, which bring pollen from other patches.

Analysis of the feeding habits of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin, 1788), in an urban park in southeastern Brazil

The aim of this work was to observe and describe the feeding habits and available food resources of the swallow-tailed hummingbird, Eupetomena macroura. The study was carried out in a municipal park located in the city of Taubaté, in the state of São Paulo. The observations took place between December 2003 and October 2004, recording the following variables: 1) the plant species visited for feeding and territorial defense; 2) the kinds of food resources; and 3) the kinds of flight to procure and obtain food. E. macroura visited 12 plant species. For territorial defense, Mangifera indica was the most visited, whereas Malvaviscus arboreus was most visited for feeding. The foliage was the plant part that received the most frequent visits. In order to obtain nectar, the only species visited was M. arboreus; to obtain arthropods, the species most visited were Mangifera indica and Hymenaea stilbocarpa. In the dry season, the hummingbirds visited flowers, whereas in the rainy season they visited leaves to acquire food. The arthropod groups most frequently found on leafy branches were Homoptera and Psocoptera. Finally, the results of the type of flight analysis showed that flight used to capture food was more often observed than were flights to search for food. In conclusion, these observations suggest that E. macroura shows plasticity in feeding behavior, which can help it to persist in urban areas.

Biologia floral de Costus spiralis (Jacq.) Roscoe (Costaceae) e mecanismos para evitar a autopolinização

The floral biology of Costus spiralis (Jacq.) Roscoe (Costaceae) was studied on swampy edges of a gallery forest in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais. Costus spiralis is an herb with 0.5 m to 2.0 m in height which blossoms from January to April (rainy season). It presents spirally twisted branches with terminal inflorescences that produce only one flower per day. The flowers are subtended by conspicuous red bracts that can attract pollinators. The flowers are hermaphroditic, red, tubular, odourless and present diurnal anthesis. Concentration of sugars in nectar was c. 20% and volume c. 9.0 µL. C. spiralis is a self-compatible, non apomictic species, which does not present spontaneous self-pollination. It presents movement herkogamy to avoid self-pollination. The pollinators of C. spiralis were the hummingbirds Phaethornis pretrei (Lesson & DeLattre) (Phaethornithinae), Eupetomena macroura (Gmelin) and Heliomaster squamosus (Temminck) (Trochilinae). Amazilia fimbriata (Gmelin) acted as nectar robber. Costus spiralis has a floral morphology adapted to pollination by Phaethornithinae, with a long and curved floral tube which conforms with the beak morphology of these birds. The strategy of trapline foraging by Phaethornithinae hummingbirds, favors the reproduction of the plant, increasing pollen flow between groups of C. spiralis. There was no difference between germination rates of seeds from self-pollination and cross-pollination, but the seeds produced from natural fruit-set presented significantly higher germination rates than those from hand pollination treatments. The results confirm the efficiency and importance of the hummingbirds as pollen vectors for C. spiralis.

Serratia marcescens Infection in a Swallow-tailed Hummingbird

A swallow-tailed hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura) was presented with a history of prostration and inability to fly. After a 2-day hospitalization, the bird died and necropsy findings included diffuse hyperemia of the small intestine serosal and mucosal surfaces and the presence of a small quantity of clear ascitic fluid in the coelomic cavity. Intestinal contents and cardiac blood were collected for microbiologic exams yielding pure cultures of a pigmented strain of Serratia marcescens. This strain was susceptible to gentamicin, enrofloxacin, streptomycin, trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole and had intermediate susceptibility to chloramphenicol and resistance to cephalotin. The source of the infection could not be ascertained, but possible contamination of hummingbird feeders could be involved, because the infection seemed to originate from the digestive tract.

Ferruginous Pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) predation on a mobbing Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savana) in south-east Brazil

I observed, and documented in detail, Ferruginous Pygmy Owl (Glaucidium brasilianum) predation on a mobbing Fork-tailed Flycatcher (Tyrannus savanna) in south-east Brazil. Events described in this account are supported with original photos. In addition to the predation event, I list 12 mobbing bird species that were alarmed by the presence of this raptor in the study area, including Trochilidae (Eupetomena macroura), Formicariidae (Formicivora rufa), Tyrannidae (Camptostoma obsoletum, Elaenia cristata, E. flavogaster, E. chiriquensis, T. savana, Myiarchus tyrannulus), Turdidae (Turdus leucomelas, T. amaurochalinus, T. rufiventris) and Emberizidae (Coryphospingus cucullatus). The Fork-tailed Flycatcher may represent 35-76.8% of the pygmy-owl body mass (41-80 g), which supports early reports about the predation on relatively large prey by this owl species. Although most authors have suggested that mobbing birds are subject to a low predation risk, this report and others confirmed that these events are not negligible and can be deadly dangerous to the mobbers, and conversely profitable to the raptor.

Superoxide activates a GDP-sensitive proton conductance in skeletal muscle mitochondria from king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus)

We present the partial nucleotide sequence of the avian uncoupling protein (avUCP) gene from king penguin ( Aptenodytes patagonicus), showing that the protein is 88–92% identical to chicken ( Gallus gallus), turkey ( Meleagris gallopavo), and hummingbird ( Eupetomena macroura). We show that superoxide activates the proton conductance of mitochondria isolated from king penguin skeletal muscle. GDP abolishes the superoxide-activated proton conductance, indicating that it is mediated via avUCP. In the absence of superoxide there is no GDP-sensitive component of the proton conductance from penguin muscle mitochondria demonstrating that avUCP plays no role in the basal proton leak.

Secretory trichomes, a substitutive floral nectar source in Lundia A. DC. (Bignoniaceae), a genus lacking a functional disc.

This is the first report of corolla-borne secretory trichomes that substitute in role for a non-functional disc in a species of the neotropical genus Lundia A. DC. (Bignoniaceae). The floral biology and flowering phenology of Lundia cordata were investigated at two remnants of tropical rainforest in northeastern Brazil. This species is a typically omithophilous liana, with reddish, tubular, scentless flowers. The flowers are resupinate, protandrous and last for 2 d. There is a vestigial non-functional perigynous disc and nectar is secreted by glandular trichomes distributed along the internal surface of the corolla. The nectar is stored at the base of the corolla tube, thus showing secondary nectar presentation. The nectariferous trichomes are multi-cellular, uniseriate, with a basal foot cell rooting in the epidermis, one neck cell, and a glandular head with 13 cells on average. Three species of hummingbirds (Amazilia fimbriata, Eupetomena macroura and Phaethornis pretrei) serve as pollinators. Phaethornis ruber, Xylocopa bees, wasps and diurnal moths are considered nectar thieves.

THE DAWN LEK OF THE SWALLOW-TAILED HUMMINGBIRD

We studied the lek behavior of the Swallow-tailed Hummingbird (Eupetomena macroura )i n an urbanized area in Sao Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. During the 22-month study we identified a total of 26 lekking territories in one lek that covered an area of approximately 12 ha. The lek was active throughout the year; the number of singing males per morning ranged from 6-15. The abandonment of territories and the establishment of new ones caused continuous rearrangement of lek boundaries. Lekking territories had a mean size of 217 m 2 and were separated from each other by 24-120 m. On average, males started singing 27 min before sunrise and kept singing for 17 min. At the end of this period and after a few minutes of silent perching, they abandoned their lekking territories until the next morning. During the singing period, males spent 72-100% of the time inside their territories. The lek behavior of E. macroura is unusual compared to other lekking hummingbirds because of the short daily period of lekking, restricted to just before sunrise. Since males and females of E. macroura possibly defend feeding territories throughout the rest of the day, the short lekking period may represent a tradeoff between two different time budget pressures from lekking and feeding activities. Received 26 March 2001, accepted 16 Feb. 2002.