Glossophaga Soricina Research Articles

Dyssochroma viridiflorum (Solanaceae): a reproductively bat-dependent epiphyte from the Atlantic rainforest in Brazil.

Few Neotropical plant species seem to depend on the same animal type both for pollination and seed dispersal, and the known instances refer mostly to birds as the agents in these two phases of a plant reproductive cycle. Dyssochroma viridiflorum (Solanaceae), an epiphyte endemic to the Atlantic rainforest in south-eastern Brazil, was found to be visited by phyllostomid bats for nectar as well as for fruits, with the pollination and seed dispersal of the plant ensured by these flying mammals. The greenish flowers open at night and are visited by the nectar-feeding bat Glossophaga soricina, whereas the yellowish-white fruits are consumed by two species of fruit-eating bats, Carollia perspicillata and Sturnira lilium. Only clinging visits, an uncommon behavioural pattern for glossophagine bats while feeding on flowers, were recorded. The small seeds of D. viridiflorum are swallowed along with the fruit pulp and later defecated on the bats' flying pathways. It is suggested that species of Dyssochroma and two other solanaceous bat-pollinated genera, Merinthopodium and Trianaea, form a derived and bat-dependent clade within the Juanulloeae.

O que é melhor para manter a riqueza de espécies de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera): um fragmento florestal grande ou vários fragmentos de pequeno tamanho?

This study was carried out with the objective of evaluating if the size of forest fragments affects the diversity of bat species. In order to do that, seven fragments were studied in Londrina, Parana: five small fragments, whose areas varied between 1 and 10 ha; a fragment which is considered medium-sized (Parque Municipal Arthur Thomas - 85,47 ha.); and a large fragment (Parque Estadual Mata dos Godoy - 680 ha.). Thirty three species were collected. Ten species were common to all three types of fragments: Chrotopterus auritus (Peters, 1856), Carollia perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), Artibeus fimbriatus Gray, 1838, Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818), Platyrrhinus lineatus (E. Geoffroy, 1810), Pygoderma bilabiatum (Wagner, 1843), Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810), Vampyressa pusilla (Wagner, 1843), Eptesicus brasiliensis (Desmarest, 1819), and Myotis nigricans (Schinz, 1821). Eight species were only found in the large fragment: Noctilio albiventris Desmarest, 1818, Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766), Uroderma bilobatum Peters, 1866, Diaemus youngi (Jentink,1893), Diphylla ecaudata Spix, 1823, Eptesicus furinalis (d'Orbigny, 1847), Histiotus velatus (I. Geoffroy, 1824) and Myotis levis (I. Geoffroy, 1824). Five were only found in the small fragments: Noctilio leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758), Phyllostomus discolor Wagner, 1843, Chiroderma villosum Peters, 1860, Eptesicus sp. e Rogheessa tumida H. Allen, 1866. Chiroderma doriae, which is threatened by extinction, was captured in the large fragment and in one of the small fragments; M. ruber, also threatened by extinction, was captured in the medium-sized and large fragments. We believe that the major cause for the loss of organic diversity is not rational exploitation, but the destruction of habitats, a result of the expansion of irrational human activities.

Effects of habitat disruption on the activity of nectarivorous bats (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) in a dry tropical forest: implications for the reproductive success of the neotropical tree Ceiba grandiflora

In the tropical dry forest of the central Pacific coast of Mexico the pollination and reproductive success of the bombacaceous tree Ceiba grandiflora was negatively affected by habitat disruption. Two of the three bat species that function as effective pollinators for this species ( Glossophaga soricina and Musonycteris harrisoni) visited flowers found in trees in disturbed habitats significantly less than trees found in undisturbed habitats. A similar pattern was observed for the effective bat pollinator, Leptonycteris curasoae; however the difference was not significant. The three nectarivorous bats that functioned as effective pollinators of C. grandiflora also visited flowers to exclusively feed on pollen by biting or pulling off an anther (see Fig. S1 of Electronic Supplementary Material). The number of pollen grains deposited on stigmas from flowers in undisturbed areas was significantly greater than from flowers in disturbed habitats. The greater visitation rate and the greater number of pollen grains deposited on flowers from trees in undisturbed forest resulted in a significantly greater fruit set for trees in these areas. Our study demonstrates the negative effect that habitat disruption has on bat pollinators in tropical dry forest ecosystems and documents the negative consequences for the plants they pollinate.

Reproductive patterns and feeding habits of three nectarivorous bats (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) from the Brazilian Cerrado.

The reproductive patterns and feeding habits of three sympatric nectarivorous bats, Glossophaga soricina, Anoura caudifera, and A. geoffroyi were studied in the Pousada das Araras Natural Reserve, located in Central Brazil. The bats were captured with mist nets from August 2000 to July 2001. Reproductive condition was determined by external analyses of the specimens and feeding habits from fecal samples. Glossophaga soricina was the most abundant species (65%), followed by A. geoffroyi (30%) and A. caudifera (5%). Significant differences were observed in the sex-ratio of the two more abundant species. Anoura geoffroyi showed a monoestrous pattern; its reproductive peaks occurred between the end of the dry season and the beginning of the rain season. A seasonal bimodal pattern was recorded for G. soricina, with pregnant specimens showing one peak observed in the dry season and another in the middle of the rainy season. The reproductive pattern of A. caudifera could not be satisfactorily defined because of the small sample size. However, this species apparently has a reproductive cycle similar to that of G. soricina. The patterns observed in this study seem to be related with the climate in the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado), with two well-defined seasons (dry and wet). By adjusting the parturition close to or in the rain season the three species could be favoring a greates survival rate for the offspring, since the critical lactation period would then occur in a time of maximum food availability. The three bat species showed a generalist diet, consuming fruits, pollennectar, and arthropods. Significant differences were observed in the diet of G. soricina: fruits and arthropods predominated in the dry season and pulp (fruits) in the rainy season. Males and females of this species ate the same items in similar proportions. Although A. geoffroyi has not showed a preference for a specific item, consumption of fruits and arthropods was generally greater than that of pollen.

Reproductive energetics of the nectar-feeding bat Glossophaga soricina (Phyllostomidae).

Pregnancy and lactation are energetically demanding periods for female mammals. Unique amongst mammals, bats have to allocate considerable amounts of energy into their offspring because juveniles cannot be weaned until they are capable of flying at almost adult size. Similar to other bat species, female nectar-feeding bats should increase their energy intake after parturition to meet the energy demands of offspring growth. However, previous studies have shown that nectar-feeding bats differ from other similar-sized bats in having a much higher metabolic rate. Therefore, I examined how nectarivorous bats respond to the energetic challenge of reproduction. In this study, the daily energy intake of pregnant and lactating Glossophaga soricina was measured during a 6-week period prior to and a 10-week period after parturition. Body mass of G. soricina increased linearly until parturition. Within the same time period, daily flight time decreased and daily energy intake remained constant. Probably, the reduced flight activity of pregnant bats compensated for the increased power requirements of flight, thus resulting in an almost constant daily energy turnover. During 35 days after parturition, neither flight time, body mass nor daily energy intake of lactating females changed significantly. On average, the daily energy intake of pregnant, lactating or non-reproducing G. soricina was not significantly different. Possibly, for unknown reasons, female G. soricina maintain a daily energy intake of a constant high level during and beyond reproduction.

Cytogenetic analysis in species of the Subfamily Glossophaginae (Phyllostomidae, Chiroptera) supports a polyphyletic origin

Abstract In this work the karyotypes of 20 specimens of bats belonging to the subfamily Glossophaginae (Phyllostomidae-Chiroptera) were analyzed, species Glossophaga soricina (2n=32, FN=60), Lionycteris spurrelli (2n=28, FN=50), Lonchophylla thomasi (2n=36, FN=48) and Choeronicus minor (2n=20, FN=36), whose data were compared with each other and with data from the literature. The analyses were done using G, C, G/C sequential and NORs banding techniques and hybridization in situ with telomeric probes. Published data were also used for Artibeus lituratus (Stenodermatinae). The species G. soricina, L. spurrelli and L. thomasi presented few homeologies among themselves and none with C. minor; the latter has a pair of chromosomes shared with the species Artibeus lituratus (Stenodermatinae), indicating a possible convergent evolution in the subfamily Glossophaginae. Additionally, by comparing our results with those in the literature, interpopulational karyotypic variability was observed in the species L. thomasi.

Temporal distribution of five bat species (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) from Panga Reserve, south-eastern Brazil

Data about activity patterns, hourly and monthly, on five phyllostomid bats, Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766), Anoura caudifer (E. Geoffroy, 1818), Camilla perspicillata (Linnaeus, 1758), Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810) and Platyrrhinus lineatus (E. Geoffroyi, 1810), studied over a one year period at the Panga Ecological Reserve, Uberlandia, Minas Gerais state, south-eastern Brazil, are reported and discussed.

Bats in continuous forest, forest fragments and in an agricultural mosaic habitat-island at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

In order to document the responses of bats to destruction and fragmentation of their natural habitat and the value of different types of man-made vegetation for bat conservation in the Neotropics, bats were sampled with mist nets to compare species richness and species composition in a tract of continuous forest, forest fragments and a habitat-island consisting of a mosaic of forest and arboreal crops in Los Tuxtlas, southern Mexico. We captured 3835 bats representing 39 species: 76% were captured in continuous forest, 74% in the mosaic habitat and 87% in forest fragments. In the mosaic habitat we captured 43% of the total number of bats, 33% in the forest fragments and 24% in continuous forest. On average the habitats studied had 64% species in common. Evidence of continuous breeding activity was determined for a high number of species at the three habitats (> 70% lactating and 65% with embryos). A few bat species ( Carollia brevicauda, Pteronotus parnelli, Sturnira lilium, Artibeus jamaicensis, Dermanura phaeotis, Vampyrodes caraccioli, Glossophaga soricina, Dermanuta toltecus, Cheoroniscus godmani, Platyrrhinus helleri) dominated the sample, but their relative dominance varied among habitats. Recapture of bats provided evidence for inter-habitat movement. The co-occurrence of the three habitats helps conserve a diverse assemblage of bat species in the local landscape.

Species composition and reproductive phenology of bats in a tropical landscape at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico

The structure, composition and reproductive phenology of a bat assemblage were investigated in the tropical region of Los Tuxtlas, Mexico. A 90-km2 landscape, originally occupied by rain forest, consisted of forest fragments and natural corridors of vegetation surrounded by pasturelands. Artificial strips of vegetation also were present as live fences. Bats were sampled with mist nets set at ground level in 52 forest fragments, three corridors, nine shaded plantations, six unshaded plantations and three live fences. We sampled each site twice, each time for a 5-h period for two consecutive nights. Bats were captured and released and the species identity and reproductive condition of adult females were recorded. Annual fruiting phenology and fruit production was measured with fruit traps in a forest site in three 500 × 20-m transects. We captured 4799 bats of 39 species. At forest sites we recorded 97% of the species and captured 44% of the bats. In corridors we captured 76% of the species and 16% of the total individuals. In the plantations we captured 71% of the species and 32% of the individuals. In the live fences we captured 32% of the species and 8% of the individuals. Three species, Pteronotus parnelli, Carollia brevicauda and Glossophaga soricina, accounted for 52% of all bat captures. Fruit-eating species and fruit-eating insectivores accounted for 65% of captures. Fleshy fruits were available year-round, but a seasonal pattern was evident. Presence of lactating females seemed to be associated, in general, with rainfall and fruiting seasonality, but individual species displayed different patterns ranging from aseasonal polyoestry to seasonal bimodal polyoestry, seasonal polyoestry and seasonal monoestry. Despite extensive fragmentation of the original rain forest, a species-rich bat assemblage still exists in the landscape studied. Short distances among remaining forest fragments and man-made habitats seem to facilitate persistence and reproductive connectivity among members of this bat assemblage.

SOURCES OF PROTEIN IN TWO SPECIES OF PHYTOPHAGOUS BATS IN A SEASONAL DRY FOREST: EVIDENCE FROM STABLE-ISOTOPE ANALYSIS

The relative importance of plants and insects as sources of protein through the year was evaluated in 2 bat species in a seasonal forest in the neotropics using stable-isotope analysis of carbon and nitrogen. Artibeus jamaicensis, a frugivore, met almost all of its protein requirements from plants with no seasonal or sexual variation. In contrast, Glossophaga soricina, a nectarivore, relied mostly on insects, but in females, plants and insects were equally important in the early rainy season and in the mid dry season. Evidence of changes in food origin of protein associated with reproductive activity was not detected in either species.

Palinofagia de los murcielagos del genero Glossophaga (Mammalia: Chiroptera) en México

El estudio se basó en el análisis de 1012 contenidos gastrointestinales de murciélagos representando las cuatro especies del género Glossophaga (Mammalia:Phyllostomidae) que se distribuyen en México. El análisis consistió en el procesamiento, identificación y cuantificación de los granos de polen extraídos de los tractos digestivos. Se identificaron 36 especies de plantas utilizadas como parte de la alimentación, siendo en general las más importantes por su abundancia: Mastichodendron capiri, Crescentia alata, Pseudobombax ellipticum, Cordia alliodora, Pithecellobium lanceolatum, Ipomoea sp. y Bursera sp. Se encontraron variaciones significativas entre la alimentación de las hembras y la de los machos, así como estacional y geográfica. Glossophaga soricina fue la especie en la cual se encontró la mayor variedad de plantas, por esto y por ser la de mayor distribución en la República Mexicana es considerada la especie más oportunista del género en nuestro país. Finalmente se discute que el traslapo encontrado en la dieta, no necesariamente es un indicador de uso común de recursos.

Intraspecific scaling of flight power in the bat Glossophaga soricina (Phyllostomidae).

Aerodynamic theory predicts that power output during flight should vary with body mass by an exponent of 1.56 when wing morphology remains constant (within an individual), and by an exponent of 1.19 when wing morphology changes with body mass (within a species or between species). I tested these predictions by estimating the power input during horizontal flight in three pregnant and two subadult Glossophaga soricina using a multivariate regression model. This analysis yielded power input during resting and flight as well as the energetic equivalent of change in body mass. A comparison of the estimated flight power for pregnant G. soricina, with published data on flight power of nonpregnant adults, revealed that energy turnover in flight is highest for pregnant G. soricina. Flight power of a 13-g pregnant G. soricina was even higher than that of a 16-g non-pregnant Glossophaga longirostris. A least-squares regression analysis yielded the following equations for the intraspecific scaling of flight power with body mass: power input during horizontal flight (Pf) = 24099 body mass (bm; kg)2.15 (r2 = 0.97) for the intra-individual allometry (pregnancy) and Pf = 113 bm(kg)0.95 (r2 = 0.99) for the inter-individual allometry (ontogeny). Both mass exponents are not significantly different from the predicted values for the scaling relationship of flight power within an individual (1.56) and within a species (1.19). This is the first measurement of power input during flight for subadult and pregnant bats.

Sulphur-containing "perfumes" attract flower-visiting bats.

We tested the attractiveness of individual scent compounds of bat-pollinated flowers to their pollinators, small flower-visiting bats of the genus Glossophaga (Phyllostomidae). Twenty compounds belonging to four different chemical substance classes were tested, both in the laboratory and in the field. In the laboratory, the bats (Glossophaga soricina) approached odour sources spontaneously and without preceding experience. Without ever receiving any reward they preferred the scent of a sulphur-containing compound, dimethyl disulphide, to several other odour components emitted by bat-pollinated flowers, and to scentless controls. In the field, at La Selva station in the tropical lowland rain forest of Costa Rica, G. commissarisi were attracted by two sulphur-containing compounds, dimethyl disulphide and 2,4-dithiapentane, to visit artificial flowers filled with sugar water. Thus, in nectarivorous bats the sense of smell obviously plays an important role in searching for and localising food sources, and even single components of the scent bouquets of bat-pollinated flowers are attractive. The preference for sulphur-containing odours seems to be innate.

Flight speed and body mass of nectar-feeding bats (Glossophaginae) during foraging.

Aerodynamic theory predicts that minimum power (Vmp) and maximum range (Vmr) flight speeds increase when the body mass of an individual animal increases. To evaluate whether foraging bats regulate their flight speed within a fixed speed category relative to Vmp or Vmr, I investigated how the natural daily changes in body mass caused by feeding affected the flight speed of neotropical nectar-feeding bats (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) within a strictly defined, stereotyped behavioural context. Individual bats were maintained in a flight tunnel (lengths of five different types 14-50 m) with a fully automated feeding, weighing (using an electronic balance at the roost) and flight speed measuring system. Flight speeds were measured during normal nocturnal foraging activity by an undisturbed bat while it flew between the two ends of the flight tunnel to obtain food from two computer-controlled nectar-feeders. For a comparison of flight enclosure measurements with field data, flight speeds were also obtained from unrestrained bats foraging in their natural environment (Costa Rica). Foraging flight speeds spanned a range of at least a factor 3 within a single species, which demonstrates the wide range of speeds possible to these animals. Significant, positive correlations between flight speed and the natural individual variability in body mass were found in nearly all cases, with body mass exponents ranging between 0.44 and 2.1. Bats flying at normal speeds were therefore not near their upper limit of muscle power. The most reliable measurements of speed increase with mass (with individual mass changes of up to 30%) were close to the increase theoretically predicted for Vmp and Vmr for an individual bat (with constant wing span and area), which should vary as M0.42, where M is mass. This provides evidence that the glossophagine bats attemped to maintain their flight speed within a fixed speed category relative to Vmp or Vmr during foraging. Among differently sized species of glossophagine bat (N=4), flight speeds V varied with V=20M0.23, in agreement with the mass exponent of 0.21 expected from aerodynamic models for interspecific variation. In addition to the mass effect, at least five other variables significantly influenced flight speed. (1) Both mean and maximum flight speeds increased with the length and the cross-sectional area of the flight tunnel. Mean (maximum) flight speeds of 11-12 g Glossophaga soricina bats (in m s-1) were 4.6 (5.3) over a 7 m and 7. 3 (10.5) over a 50 m flight path. (2) The flight speed range adopted by a bat during one night could vary significantly between nights, independently of body mass and the effect of the size of the flight enclosure. (3) Bats flew significantly faster under illumination than in darkness. This effect was shown (i) by bats kept under natural ambient illumination that initiated foraging during the twilight phase of the evening, (ii) when bats continued to feed into the light phase directly after the dark-light transition in the laboratory and (iii) during foraging under constant, artificial illumination. (4) After a period of rest, the initial flight speed during a foraging bout was significantly increased by 25%, but declined to the mean level within 20 s of activity. (5) Flight speed could differ significantly between foraging (flight from feeder to feeder) versus non-foraging (flight from end to end of the enclosure without visiting the feeders) flights. The results of this study demonstrate a clear ability of bats to regulate their flight speed in response to small natural changes in body mass as predicted by aerodynamic theory for Vmp and Vmr. The set point in flight speed regulation, however, was influenced by multiple additional variables.

The effect of food hardness on feeding behaviour in frugivorous bats (Phyllostomidae): an experimental study

AbstractMost New World leaf‐nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are frugivores. Many of these species are sympatric and mechanisms of resource partitioning including vertical stratification and divergent foraging strategies have been described. This study investigates a previously unexplored but potentially significant factor in resource partitioning: the relationship between feeding behaviour and fruit hardness. Data summarizing ingestive and fruit processing behaviours were collected during feeding experiments from five sympatric frugivorous phyllostomid species: Artibeus jamaicensis, Dermanura phaeotis, Sturnira lilium, Carollia perspicillata, and Glossophaga soricina. Individuals were the subjects of feeding experiments that consisted of eating hard and soft fruits of similar size, shape, and mass. Variables analysed from videotapes of the experiments describe how fruits are placed in the mouth during ingestion, the frequency of head movements during biting, the number of bites used to remove a piece of fruit, and the number of chews used to process each mouthful of fruit. Results of chi‐square, log‐linear, R×C, and Kruskal–Wallis tests demonstrate that feeding behaviours vary significantly with fruit hardness both within and between species. Artibeus, Dermanura, and Sturnira are behaviourally specialized for feeding on relatively hard fruits. However, Carollia, and probably Glossophaga, lack these behavioural specializations. Both mechanical and ecological implications of intra‐ and interspecific behavioural variation are discussed. Differences in fruit handling behaviour are also used to make explicit predictions regarding interspecific variation in masticatory morphology. This study demonstrates that the relationship between fruit hardness and feeding behaviour may be an integral part of frugivore ecology. Overall, resource partitioning among phyllostomid frugivores is a result of complex interactions among and between bats and their food plants. Controlled experimental studies such as this one provide a crucial means of dissecting these complex interactions and gaining insight into the basis of frugivore diversity.

Visits of bats to flowers of Lafoensia glyptocarpa KOEHNE (LYTHRACEAE)

In the present study visits of phyllostomid bats to the Lafoensia glyptocarpa Kohne flowers were observed at Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Itaguaí municipality, Rio de Janeiro state. This tree species present floral characteristics to fit the "chiropterophilous syndrome", encouraging the visit of four species of bats which showed different behavior patterns, according to their size, weight and access to the food resources. Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1766) showed hovering behavior. Phyllostomus hastatus (Pallas, 1767) and Platyrrhinus lineatus (Geoffroy, 1810) showed landing behavior and Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818) fed during the quick flight, without a real landing.

Morcegos cavernícolas da região do Distrito Federal, centro-oeste do Brasil (Mammalia, Chiroptera)

Between 1989 and 1995, twenty caves in the Distrito Federal area in mid-western Brazil were assessed for bat species richness, frequency, spatial distribution, behavior, reproduction and inter-specific cohabitation. The general state of conservation of the caves was also assessed. Of the 20 caves studied, 12 were less than 100 m long, five between 100 m and 300 m, and three were longerthan 300 m. Twenty-two species of six different families were observed: 16 species belonged to Phyllostomidae, two to Vespertilionidae and Mormoopidae and one to Furipteridae and Emballonuridae. In this study, 17 species were characterized as Distrito Federal cave dwellers. The most prevalent were Desmodus rotundus, Glossophaga soricina and Carollia perspicillata. The least prevalent were Lonchorhina aurita, Pteronotus gymnonotus and Phylloderma stenops. Since some Anoura caudifer, Platyrrhinus lineatus, Myotis nigricans, Micronycteris minuta, and Eptesicus brasiliensis individuals were captured only while going into the caves early in the night, they were not considered cave dwellers. Even though, they probably use the caves as a daytime roosting place. Surprisingly, Lonchophylla dekeyseri, considered to be the only endemic bat species in the Cerrado ecosystem, was observed in three of the surveyed caves. Further biological studies are necessary to determine the biology of L. dekeyseri and the necessity of its conservation. The bat colonies observed were usually of a small size. Few colonies of D. rotundus and Anoura geoffroyi contained more than 300 individuals of both sexes. Only a inale group of L. aurita was observed in the Distrito Federal area. Twelve of the surveyed caves were hard to access and therefore well protected. Four of the caves received some public visitation, two were located near limestone mines, one was located near an urban area. and one had both public visitation and deforestation near its entrance. In this latter cave, no bats were observed after november 1994, probably due to the urbanization process. Special attention should be given to eight of the surveyed caves in any plan made for the conservation of cave bats in the Distrito Federal area. These caves host a high bat diversity (six or more species) and also shelter two rare and one endemic bat species.

ZOO-FISH analysis in a species of the order Chiroptera: Glossophaga soricina (Phyllostomidae).

Glossophaga soricina is a flower-visiting bat which lives in the neotropics. The diploid chromosome number is 2n = 32 with a fundamental number of autosomal arms, FN, of 60. G. soricina belongs to the Microchiroptera which have a lower diploid DNA content and a higher AT composition in their DNA compared with other mammals. By ZOO-FISH analysis with human chromosome-specific DNA probes, the human autosomes were found conserved in 41 segments. This is an arrangement similar to other mammals which have been analyzed. Several chromosomal associations already known from ZOO-FISH studies in other species were also present in G. soricina.

Postzygotic Control of Selfing inHymenaea stigonocarpa(Leguminosae‐Caesalpinioideae), a Bat‐Pollinated Tree of the Brazilian Cerrados

The pollination biology and breeding system of Hymenaea stigonocarpa, a common tree of the Brazilian cerrados, were investigated. The flowers have nocturnal anthesis, produce copious nectar, and are visited by at least four species of bats, including the specialized nectivorous Glossophaga soricina and the less specialized frugivores Platyrhinus lineatus and Carollia perspicillata. Controlled hand‐pollination results indicate the species is basically allogamous. Almost all selfed flowers abscised within 7–8 d, but rejection was due to a postzygotic mechanism, since self‐pollen tubes grew to the ovary and penetrated ovules with equal facility to cross tubes, and selfed ovules at 5 d contained a zygote with endosperm nuclei. The causes of selfed pistil abscission were not established, but selfed ovules were smaller than crossed ones at every stage over the first 5 d postpollination, indicating an early recognition or differential development of selfed ovules.

Histochemical and electrophoretic analysis of the primary flight muscle of several phyllostomid bats

We identify a novel histochemical fibre type that is correlated with a unique myosin heavy chain isoform in the pectoralis muscle of the two bats Artibeus lituratus and Carollia perspicillata (Phyllostomidae). Pectoralis muscles sampled from four other species (Phyllostomus hastatus, Platyrrhinus helleri, Glossophaga soricina, and Diaemus youngi) exhibited myosin heavy chain isoforms with electrophoretic properties identical with those of A. lituratus andC. perspicillata. The pectoralis muscles of A. lituratus and C. perspicillata consisted mainly of the newly described type IIe fibre. Diaemus youngi differed from the other species studied by having an FM5 native myosin isoform, a feature shared with Desmodus rotundus. We hypothesize that the two-fibre-type composition of the pectoralis muscle in the phyllostomid bats may be related to a "two-gear" locomotor strategy and represents a synapomorphy. The distribution of fibre types and myosin isoforms correlated with family-level phylogenetic affinity rather than with functional characteristics. One of the fibre types was identical with type IIa of terrestrial mammals and a correlated IIa isoform pattern upon electrophoretic analysis. The IIa fibres had high oxidative and glycolytic potential. The second fibre type, which we call type IIe, had a histochemical and immunocytochemical pattern inconsistent with interpretation as a type IIb muscle fibre. Electrophoretic analysis confirmed that isoforms correlated with IIe fibres migrated at different rates from type I, IIa, IIb, and IIx isoforms. The IIe fibres had a fast oxidative metabolic pattern and were at least twice as numerous as IIa fibres. Thus, a novel type IIe fibre is predominant in the pectoralis of six phyllostomid species that exhibit highly divergent body sizes and (or) flight styles.