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range of disturbing foliage. Additional aspects are mentioned by v. Helversen (1993): open 

 exposure of flowers give the glossophagine pollinators space for wing movements during 

 hovering flight thereby also minimizing the risk of encountering predators (better visual 

 control and shorter stay). Tliis is achieved in several ways (van der Pijl 1957): 

 Flagelliflory or Penduliflory 



Here, the host plants develop one or more long thin stalks of the inflorescence which is 

 usually pendulous but may sometimes point off the stem almost horizontally. The length 

 of the flagellae varies between 0,6 and 5 m! 

 Cauliflory 



The blossoms are arranged along the stem or along the main branches, also faciUtating 

 approaches of the bats (van der Pijl 1936). Example: Ceiba pentandra. 

 Pincusliion blossoms 



hi tliis configuration, the inflorescences are arranged sphericaUy emerging everywhere 

 from the foliage. 



Towering individual mflorescences 



As tlie herbaceous plant does not grow very taU (e.g. Agave), it develops a (tree-shaped!) 

 inflorescence and mcreases probability of becoming exclusively pollinated by bats. 

 Developmg storeys 



By arranging the leaves in distinct storeys, the inflorescences are separated from the 

 remaining vegetation area (Ceiba). 



Diet of various New World nectar feeding bat genera 

 Analysis of stomach contents m captured specimens revealed some information on their 

 diet. Additionally, many captured bats still carry pollen in their fur (especially around tlie 

 muzzle, but also on the shoulder or on the neck) allowing to identify or at least to draw 

 conclusions about the plant species they visit. 



Lionycteris: Although the diet of L. spurrelli is still unknown, it may resemble that of 

 Lonchophylla (Gardner 1977). In Pern, one specimen of L. spurrelli was captured among 

 blooming Cashew trees (Tuttle 1970). 



Lonchophylla: According to Walker et al. (1964), Lonchophylla feeds on blossoms, taking 

 in nectar, pollen, but also insects and fruit. Similar reports on Panamanian species of 

 Lonchophylla were given by Duke (1967) who reported of a diet consisting of nectar, 

 over-ripe fruit, pollen and msects. Tliis may also apply to the remaining species of the 

 genus (Gardner 1977). 



In L. thomasi, the faeces and the contents of stomach and intestines were analyzed: in five 

 specimens from east Peru Koepcke (1987) found larger amounts of pollen (2 specimens), 

 pulp and seeds of Piper sp. (1 specimen), remnants of unidentified fruit (3 specimens) as 

 well as vaious thoroughly chewed and indeterminable insects (4 specimens). One of the 

 bats contained a yellowish fluid, probably nectar or faüt juice. Another specimen was 

 covered with pollen on its head, breast and on the wing membranes; its faeces also 

 revealed nothing than pollen. Gardner (1977) observed L. thomasi at banana blossoms 

 (also in east Peru), and these bats were covered with pollen on their head and shoulders, 

 too. 



For L. mordax Gardner (1977) reported insects, fruit, nectar and pollen, without, however, 

 specifying the plant diet. For six L. m. con cava caught in Costa Rica, Howell & Burch 

 (1974) identified tlie following particles: nectar and pollen of Muciina sp.(l ind.), nectar 

 and poUen of Miisa sp.(2 ind.), renmants of lepidopterans (3 ind.). 



